Review of Pink Floyd: The Wall (1982) by Bailey C — 27 Jun 2015

*GREAT MOVIE*.

Music has changed since 1982. In my opinion, it has changed in a very, very bad way: It lacks passion, to put it simply. It's also very repetitive and seems to be put out there, effortlessly, without a care in the world, for the sole purpose of making money. Is anyone still doing what they love when it comes to music? Does anyone have a message?

When watching the 1982 rock opera "Pink Floyd The Wall", I thought to myself, "wow, we will never see anything like this ever again." I think I can hold onto that statement until the day I die, and it will most likely still be true. "The Wall" was a 1979 Pink Floyd album which was later adapted into this movie, using their music, obviously. It was released at a time when musical artists were still worthy of being called musical artists. It was also at a time when music served as a larger part of society, a time when music always had a message.

"Pink Floyd The Wall" is about a lot of things. It's about embracing inner expression, issues with education, and makes many more strong political statements. If you're a fan of Pink Floyd, well, that just helps. The music, in my opinion, is fantastic. I'm a fan of Pink Floyd, and have been for quite some time. It's haunting and almost spiritual, and the story told in this film is one of many complex levels with complex emotions.

The main character, a rockstar named Pink, sits in his hotel room in Los Angeles, thinking about the past and dwelling on his current problems while avoiding them. Less than half of the film consists of powerful and expertly designed animation. The animation in the film serves a bigger purpose than to entertain, like most Pink Floyd music does, and like the rest of the movie does, and unlike modern music does.

Pink dwells on his past; he thinks of his overprotective mother, his dad who died in WWII, the Missile Crisis, and the lack of freedom of expression in his school. In his current, drugged and numb state, he slowly goes crazy in his own mind, by himself. This is very powerful and imaginative stuff, especially when we know it's coming from the mind of Roger Waters. I don't think a time will ever come that I watch this film and I don't think to myself, "what could this mean?" Because "Pink Floyd The Wall" is one of those open-ended films that you'll always learn more and more about each time you watch it.

During one of the scenes in Pink's childhood, we see children being led in a line, wearing the same face, being marched into a grinder. Pay attention to the lyrics: "all in all it's just another brick in the wall.... We don't need no education." Not only is it haunting, but it's very powerful, and I believe it has been brought to life perfectly with one of the most powerful scenes in the movie.

The animation, like I said earlier, is masterfully made. Some of it is appropriately disturbing, some is haunting, some is bizarre, but all of it is powerful. For you to figure out is the true meaning behind all of it. I'm not entirely sure if it means something different to everyone, but I do know this: everyone will find something different when they watch it, whether it be personal feelings or altered understandings of each scene.