Review of Pink Floyd: The Wall (1982) by Ryan H — 18 Feb 2012

I really have no clue how Roger Waters and Alan Parker could have disliked this film. Waters said it was too depressing and Parker said it was like a student film. I can see where Waters is coming from, even though I disagree, but I can't understad Parker's comment.

Pink Floyd The Wall follows Pink who is an artist going through a downward spiral, and it shows how he might have gotten there from his childhood upbringing. His father was killed in war and he wanted a father of his own.

His teachers always told him to be like everyone else, just another brick in the wall. And now in modern day, he believes the woman he loves has cheated on him. He has lost control. Pink is tuned to the TV, not focused on any of the women around him.

I felt like this was him turning into what the teachers always wanted him to be. But this isn't because he has finally accepted that he needs to be what people want him to be. This happened because he has just lost control of his life and he realizes it.

What's so great about the film is that Pink doesn't want to be just another brick in the wall. He wants to tear down the wall. Well, Parker and Waters seem to want to do the same thing with the film.

There's not much that is conventional about it. Not much of a plot is to be had from this. You probably couldn't piece everything together perfectly if you wanted to. Pink Floyd The Wall is more about the images and the emotions.

And for me, it was one of the best theater experiences I have ever had. We saw it on 70mm at school tonight, and it was glorious. I was heavily inspired. Most of the scenes have these deep emotions that are easy to connect with.

Seeing the little kid try to hold the hand of the man because he wants him to be his father, the mother trying to take care of her scared child, the child putting a bullet on the train tracks and getting off right before he would be hit, then the adult version of Pink spiraling into a loss of control.

The image of the school children having on the masks and becoming the same and jumping into the meat grinder. Ah, the images are just so incredible. I'm still not quite sure what to make of the Nazi stuff.

Perhaps that was their showing of what a society that all tries to be the same becomes. Really, this is an amazing film and I feel very lucky to have gotten to see it on 70mm tonight. It's an experience I will never forget.