Pink Floyd:the Wall

This is one film that I can't stop watching - once it starts I'm hooked until the end. The 90 minutes really fly by. And to those who say the real life and animation do not comfortably coexist - I say "rubbish !" the transitions are smooth and seamless. My favorite part is when the school kids, with their faceless masks, are marched through the factory and into the grinder. Classic Pink Floyd. And I say Bob Geldof's portrayal of Pink is flawless. Buy this DVD - you won't regret it !

That said, Pink Floyd's "The Wall" was a ground breaking album and a step in rock and roll that HAD to be taken. A band like Pink Floyd had to exist so that they could inspire other bands (Tool and A Perfect Circle come to mind) to produce honest to God, good rock and roll with a heart and something real to say, rather then the mindless soulless corporate crap that clutters up the radio today. The character here builds up an emotional wall around him to guard his vulnerability, something that we've almost all been through at one point or another in our lives. Pink Floyd by all acounts were a revolutionary band, the first band to go the extra mile with their art and were wildly successful with it. Of course, this is just one reviewer's opinion, I've always understood a person's reason for not liking Pink Floyd. The band is not for everyone. Some don't want to be dragged along for over an hour, following a story with music. Some just want good tunes to blast in their car or headphones and that's understandable.

Down to the movie. It's more or less over an hour of music videos, before there were such a thing. The dialogue is the music which is more of a narration which could turn some people off. I personally would have loved to see a real movie with real dialogue because everything about The Wall is theatric. From the album to the stage show. Here, the music is the film and the scenes are the background. Reverse the rolls and you would have one Hell of a movie, in my opinion. Which is not to say that this movie is without it's good points. For instance, "Another Brick in the Wall pt. 2" is a great point in the movie. The maze to represent a school is brilliant and so are the kids being lead into a meat grinder. A great social commentary on crooked education, with teachers that revel in taking out their own problems on the kids they're paid to teach. "Comfortably Numb" is also another high point. There's too many videos to run through, so I'll just say that they vary from being great (Goodbye Blue Sky, The Trial, When the Tigers Broke Free), to just being ok (Young Lust).

The real shining star of this movie is Gerald Scarfe. His animations are AMAZING. "Goodbye Blue Sky" is really the high point of the movie, hands down. The symbolism is great and on point and gets the point across beautifully, more so then the regular scenes with actual acting. "The Trial" is also everything it should have been and more. (The judge is a butt with a face on it. How true is that?)

All in all (no pun intended), you should get this if you're a real Pink Floyd fan, who hasn't just heard a few songs here and there on the radio. You should also buy this if you've read all the reviews on here and have a good grasp on what you'll be spending your money on. This film is not for everyone. This is the type of movie where if you don't get it, you'll most likely just watch it once and never again. Maybe twice if you're thinking that you missed something that you should be getting. And if you do get it, it's a great experience that you'll dig out every now and than for a fun time. As depressing as the movie is, there is much positivity that lies beneath the surface. So many of us have the emotional wall around us that we really do need to break down in order to enjoy life, love and all the other adventures that the world has instore for us. You have to dig beneath the surface with this movie like much of Pink Floyd's work to get the concept. If nothing else, you can enjoy the music as it sounds better on this DVD than the album. There's also two new songs. The bonus features are rather plentiful, featuring the original documentary on the movie, a two part retrospective, the music video for "Another Brick on the Wall pt. 2", the "Hey You" scene (which was cut from the movie because Roger Waters thought it dragged the flim on too much but is actually quite great), the trailer, a still gallery and commentary by Roger Waters and Gerald Scarfe which is great and at times very funny. If nothing else, the bonus features may interest you.

If you'd rather experience The Wall in a different way and are interested in seeing just what the live shows for the album were like, I'd strongly suggest Roger Waters' "The Wall: Live in Berlin" DVD. It's a great DVD despite some stale guests here and there. A truly great thing to witness if you really love the album.

One love to all,
Kevin

Taking that as a leaping off point, he takes the conclusion of the absurdity of the rock star life to its logical end. And it is brilliant. Pink Floyd was simply not the same after the breakup.

It is visually and viscerally stunning. I used to watch this over and over again and it seemed to tap into what I was feeling at the time and it provided comfort, a sense that someone else could relate to the isolation and loneliness I felt, even in the midst of people. I had to replace my vinyl record several times because I listened to it so much. The movie provides eye candy for the songs.

The plot is quite simple: Pink ('by the way, which one's Pink?') is a rock star whose about had enough of the excess and snaps, journeying into his brain way too far. We see the meltdown unfold and follow the transition to something much more frightening, gaining a vision of just how far human vanity can take us. The songs and the visuals form a cohesive whole.

Sure it's pretentious and takes itself too seriously at times - but isn't that the point? It works.

It's one of the darker takes on this life but it nails it brilliantly. You'll find that many of the scenes are bigger than the context of the film. Many of them could be related to events in the political or social sphere of then and today.

It's a bit dated, perhaps, or I've merely gotten older. But the extras on the DVD make it worthwhile, including the video for 'Hey You' featuring footage that didn't make it into the film.