Review of The Last Waltz (1978) by Matt P — 07 Jun 2011

I'm not a particular fan of this type of music, and quite honestly didn't even know what "The Band" was until I saw this movie. I didn't know what to expect from a documentary made about a band I never knew.

..in an age I never grew up in. But leave it all to Martin Scorsese to lay out the pieces of the puzzle easy there for you to figure out. "The Last Waltz" is a documentary showcasing "The Band's" last full out concert after 16 years, along with some special guest appearance.

The way the film just begins is a sight to see of 1978. For a young up and coming director this is a documentary film that seriously sticks out for the 70s, and should be modeled after still today. The formula or "structure" of the film is easy to follow.

What we see may be a couple of songs onstage (and here the performances never looked so real), followed by a behind shot of Scorsese himself interviewing the main rock stars. And it's all very interesting, the stories they share, the anecdotes they laugh at.

"The Last Waltz" is a great experience, even if the music isn't of your liking. The filmmaking itself just plain looks good. The set up frames, the great stage lighting, and the cameo appearances everything was great.

More particular performances I enjoyed were Neil Young's and Dr. John's. They really seemed to spice it up and I'd be lying if I said I didn't want someone a little more famous than "The Band" to show up and "save the day.

" Not to say "The Band" is a bunch of unknowns, just that again, I hadn't even heard of them until then. But I think taking from first view of this movie, all rock bands or bands in general can look to this movie as a sort of tribute to the glorious, passionate days when the age of music was growing controversial.