The Last Waltz [1978] | ![The Last Waltz [1978]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51C7FCJ7N7L._SL160_.jpg)
 enlarge | Director: Martin Scorsese
Actors: The Band, Neil Diamond, Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Neil Young
Studio: MGM Entertainment
Category: DVD
List Price: £19.99
Buy New: £3.25
You Save: £16.74 (84%)
New (28) Used (5) from £3.25
Rating:  32 reviews
Sales Rank: 2015
Format: Pal, Widescreen
Languages: Danish (Subtitled), Dutch (Subtitled), French (Subtitled), Italian (Subtitled), Norwegian (Subtitled), Spanish (Subtitled), Swedish (Subtitled), English (Original Language)
Rating: Universal, suitable for all
Region: 2
Discs: 1
Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
Number Of Items: 1
Running Time: 112 Minutes
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 7.1 x 5.4 x 0.6
EAN: 5050070009057
ASIN: B00006JNBF
Theatrical Release Date: April 26, 1978
Release Date: October 14, 2002
Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
Condition: Established national distributor of entertainment products in the UK. All of our products are new, sealed and delivered by first class post.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 27 more reviews...
 OK in parts but overrated July 4, 2008
lexo1941 (Dublin, Ireland)
On the back of my DVD of The Last Waltz, which is almost certainly the same as this edition, it's described as "one of the most important cultural events of the last two decades!" In the first place, it was made three decades ago. In the second place, that's an absurd description of what was nothing more than a glossy and overblown documentary of a moderately good live performance.
The Band's drummer Levon Helm, in his bawdy, gritty and very readable autobiography 'This Wheel's On Fire', describes the circumstances of the original concert; guitarist Robbie Robertson had got tired of touring and wanted to go out with a bang. Helm was incredulous that Robertson wanted to take the band off the road, but feeling that he had no choice he consented to Scorsese filming the show and interviewing the band members. When he saw the final film he was incensed. Barney Hoskyns, in his superb book 'Across The Great Divide: The Band and America' describes how the footage was assembled by Scorsese and Robertson in a cocaine-fuelled frenzy. Watch the final film and it bears out Helm's and Hoskyns' accounts; Robertson is in nearly every frame, often in a spotlight, and is frequently the only performer in shot even when somebody else is singing. Robertson himself has (and had) such a weak singing voice that his microphone was normally turned off, but it doesn't stop Scorsese including numerous shots of Robertson apparently joining in on the harmony.
It's a shame because the other guys were giving it loads. Levon Helm, who is never granted a spotlight even when he's singing lead vocal, gives blistering performances of 'The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down' and 'Up On Cripple Creek'. Rick Danko is on excellent form, and Garth Hudson's sax solos on 'It Makes No Difference' are so beautiful that Robertson's facial contortions during his own weak and stuttery guitar solos are just embarrassing. Richard Manuel is barely in the movie, and by common consent he was the best singer of any of them.
The real lie of the film is that Robertson is presented as the spokesman and practically the leader of the band, whereas in musical terms Hudson (by far the most talented musician) was regarded by the others as the conductor and bandleader. Robertson's solemn monologues about his 'sixteen years on the road' are presented as though he spoke for the rest of them, but Helm at any rate was disgusted with Robertson's lack of stamina and was fully prepared to go on touring. The proof of this is that not many years later, he did just that, reforming the band without Robertson, who has been practically inactive since the Band's initial split in 1977.
Robertson is a fine guitarist and was once a great songwriter, but the most important cultural event that this band was responsible for was their first album (the second most important being their second album). 'The Last Waltz' has some cracking performances, most notably by Ronnie Hawkins, Muddy Waters (accidentally filmed by Scorsese on only one camera - should have laid off the snow there, Marty, it was ruining your concentration), Joni Mitchell, Van Morrison and the band itself, but too much of it is pretentious, overly pleased with itself, sluggish and just plain dull. (Stand up, Neils Diamond and Young.) The studio segments with the Staple Singers and Emmy Lou Harris are butchered versions of good songs. The interviews are mildly entertaining the first time round, but the stories have been told so many times elsewhere that they gain nothing by repetition. Finally, there are just far too many shots of Robbie Robertson doing nothing but preening himself onstage or saying banal things very, very slowly in the manner that would later be copied and perfected by Bono and The Edge.
The best concert film ever made is still Talking Heads' 'Stop Making Sense', because unlike this film, the makers weren't coked to the gills and were confident that the music could speak for itself. Robert Christgau is right - get the soundtrack instead, 'the movie is better when you can't see it'.
 Celebration gig lifted by some starry performances, but far too samey and too pleased with itself April 6, 2008
Lou Knee (England)
1 out of 3 found this review helpful
Has some great performances by some all time greats, has an easy to watch semi documentary feel about it and yet it is all so laid back and a bit self congratulatory and far too American MOR ish feeling for my own tastes. MS shows skill with his big camera shots fading lazily in and out in the manner of the much better live rock movie Woodstock, but it IS just a bit too laid back, too unobtrusive and too celebratory of a crowd of samey sounding mostly American and Canadian greats from the long haired and laid back school of rock. There is no artist here brought in for their ability to shake things up a bit, for their stage act over pure musicality - there is no Hendrix or Joplin here, for rather obvious reasons, but both these artists helped to make Woodstock much more than just a celebratory gig for old hippies. But they could have asked someone like The Who, another band that gave Woodstock such a broad, rocky flavour. I know the acts were chosen to sort of complement the music of The Band, but my god did it need someone like The Who, someone with raw power to stir them out of their good vibe lethargy!! It was all so well meaning and sort of clubby, that I really can't bare to watch all the way through any more.
There are some great performances in it yes, especially from Brits Van Morrison and Eric Clapton, and Canadian hosts The Band were pretty good, as always, if rather in the same style as most of the other acts: Dylan, Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, Emmy Lou Harris, and the ever tedious Dr. John just kept the same ol type of laid back folksy/bluesy music rollin' and rollin' out. There was no where near enough diversity of acts here, the great Neil Diamond apart. It was a celebration of one type of music only, pretty much, not rock or pop per se, and because of this, it looks a little bit exclusive, dare I say elitist. No, sorry, it wasn't quite my cup of herbal tea, this movie, but it is worth a look for a couple of performances. Scene selection comes into its own here, in my view.
 Superb. February 15, 2008
Musicfan (Somerset, UK)
I have alwasy liked a couple of tracks by The Band but would not call myself a fan of the group. I bought this for a few pounds as I had read glowing reports about it. I am not sure what I expected but I did not expect it to be so good. The film quality is first class. The sound is first class. It is so good, it could have been filmed yesterday not over 30 years ago. More importantly, what about the content? Also excellent. The Band can play and is good....very good. An amazing performance by Neil Young. Super guest performances by Emmylou Harris, Neil Dimaond, Eric Clapton, Muddy Waters, Bob Dylan, Van Morrison and others. The concert is interupted by interviews with the Band members talking about the past which is interesting. I would have preferred this to be an extra and to let the music flow. However, it did not detract from my enjoymment of this DVD because the content is so good. I will definately be watching this again. Great music which has stood the test of time. It is as fresh today as it was back in the 1970s. Highly recommended.
Forever Young September 10, 2007
silver moon
5 out of 7 found this review helpful
Thanks to Martin Scorsese and the ability of film to capture and preserve a moment in time forever, we can dance "The Last Waltz" over and over again. And we never really have to say a final farewell to The Band.
Yes, Scorsese was there. And lucky for us, he made sure that not one, but seven, of the era's best cinematographers were also there working right alongside him, their cameras trained on different areas and angles of the stage so as not to miss a single, magical moment of that night so long ago.
It was a night when the likes of Muddy Waters, Neil Young, Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Eric Clapton, Neil Diamond, Van Morrison, Dr. John, Paul Butterfield, Ringo Starr, Ron Wood, and Ronnie Hawkins took turns sharing the stage with their gracious, modest hosts, the five "fellas" in The Band. And a night when every single one of those beautiful voices joined forces at the end to perform an achingly mournful, beautiful version of The Band classic, "I Shall Be Released."
A fitting end to a concert which, in retrospect, seemed to mark the ending of an era in rock 'n' roll, the passing of the old guard in a sense. Even though many of these people continued to make music for many years--are still making music in some cases, in fact--the magnitude, the collective impact of all those voices of that '60s generation, has just never been duplicated.
If Scorsese and his crack team hadn't captured the concert on warm, cinematic, 35mm film (the first rock concert to be filmed this way, with even Woodstock having been filmed in 16mm), it would now be just a magical memory in the minds of the lucky few thousand who were there that night. And most of those memories would be from the perspective of the majority who witnessed the concert from deep in the crowd, many rows back from and well below the stage.
But because The Band and Scorsese had the sense to get this thing on film, it's now an experience open to millions for generations to come. Anyone can go back there--right onto that stage--at any time, and relive the phenomenal music, the era, the mood of intensified camaraderie between The Band members and their distinguished guests, whenever they pop in the DVD.
I recently took my second whirl around the dance floor with this sublime movie. I'd first seen it back in 1978, when it was first released in theaters. I knew then that I'd witnessed greatness, and continued to talk up the pleasures of this movie to friends and family over the next couple of decades.
I remembered the music knocking my socks off, remembered how The Staples Singers made my heart and soul soar high above where my body was still firmly entrenched in my seat with their joyful noise during "The Weight." (On the DVD commentary, Mavis Staples shares that Band members Robbie Robertson and Levon Helm had instructed her to "take it to church" near the end of her ecstatic vocalizing.) And I remembered that Van Morrison did a killer version of "Caravan" (complete with a garish, glittery '70s "rock-star" costume...well, more like something a Barnum & Bailey's Circus performer might wear, actually).
I wanted badly to share all this joyful music with my husband, who loves rock `n` roll as much as I do, but who`d somehow managed to go his whole life without seeing this movie. I searched my local video stores in vain for it a few years back. It was kind of hard to get ahold of for awhile there, before the newly remastered version was released in 2002. They just didn't have it in stock. So I gave up on seeing it again for awhile.
Besides, I thought, I'm probably just building it up in my memory. I'm sure I'll be disappointed when I finally see it again. Probably won't be as great and magical as I remember it.
Well, I've finally seen it again, and you know what? It's even better than I remembered it, so much better. And now I know the "secret" that isn't really a secret at all, one that people older than me have known as an obvious fact for many years: The Band was one of the greatest rock `n' roll bands of all time.
As you watch them expertly wield their many instruments--not just the standard rock 'n' roll triumvirate of guitars, bass, and drums, but also some instruments you might associate more with bluegrass or even jazz musicians than rockers, instruments like fiddles, mandolins, stand-up bass, clavinets, accordions, saxophones, and so on--you quickly realize that they were one of the most brilliant, versatile groups of musicians you could ever hope to assemble.
And another thing that hits you almost as soon as they take the stage is that these guys had as much unforced charisma, charm, likeability and sexual magnetism as the Beatles in their heyday.
(Any woman who can watch Danko pour his heart and soul into his anguished, mesmerizing performance of "It Makes No Difference" in this movie and not feel the earth move is a much stronger woman than I. He is young, manly beauty and masculine vulnerability personified here. His riveting performance of "Stage Fright"--with a noticeable tremble in his voice and the words sometimes catching in his throat, as if he really is scared to death to be up there in that spotlight--had the same effect on me.)
Part of the appeal of the entire Band in this movie is their modest, unassuming quality. They seem just as happy when they're playing in the shadows, out of the spotlight (maybe even more so), as they are when they're taking center stage. I guess that comes from all those years on the road as a backing band for other lead singers--first Ronnie Hawkins and then, legendarily, Bob Dylan.
Even after bringing down the house with a particularly impassioned lead vocal or guitar solo, they quietly resume being just one of the boys in the band, maybe acknowledging the audience's loud cheering with just a slight smile or nod of the head.
Not that they were awkward front men. Rick Danko could easily and confidently step into the spotlight and command the entire hall with his beautiful, high tenor, that famously wracked, twisted and tortured way he had of delivering a song. That's just what he does during "Stage Fright," for example. And Robbie Robertson would occasionally allow himself a flashy, head-thrown-back flourish on his guitar.
But it was all done so modestly, almost reluctantly, as if they were saying to their audience, I've got this great lyric or passionate guitar lick that I've just got to share with you, and then I'll get back to the sidelines and let the other guys have their turn to shine. None of the five Band members ever seemed to see themselves as anything more than "just one of the guys."
During their farewell concert, those years of playing "second fiddle" to others serve The Band very well and make them come across as very gracious hosts. Though they rock hard and play amazing versions of their own songs, they're clearly enjoying themselves just as much when they're serving as the world's most famous and best backup band to their distinguished guests, singing backing vocals for Neil Young during "Helpless," or for Dr. John during "Such a Night," for instance. Clearly this was a line-up of equals, with no one ever trying to hog the spotlight.
Today's many uber-vain, desperate-for-all-the-attention-they-can-get performers--always trying to out-bling each other in the case of lots of the guys, or reveal even more flesh than their female rivals in the case of the gals--could learn a thing or two from their gracious elders. Emmylou Harris and Joni Mitchell never looked more beautiful--like two hippie goddesses--than they did in this movie. Yet they managed to do it while fully clothed--in a floor-length gown in Harris's case!
All this restraint was even a nice change from a lot of what was going on in rock back then. So many bands were into the preening, strutting, rockstar stuff onstage. It was all part of the fun and the image, of course. But that a band like The Band could rock out so well without resorting to all the wild costumes and histrionics was pretty amazing.
Therefore--unlike so many of the flashier, more ostentatious bands from that era--the five guys in The Band have absolutely nothing to be embarrassed about. There was none of that showboating, swaggering stuff for them. Not that they didn't love to rock out and get in a hard, often funky groove with their music. They did that just as well as (probably better than) anybody else around back then. Still, they always conducted themselves with dignity onstage. Not pomposity or aloofness, mind you. Just...dignity.
They wanted the focus to be on the music rather than them; they thought the music should speak for itself. They seemed to possess an innate sense that nothing could kill a great song like the whiff of desperation in a performance. They didn't feel a need to sell their songs, to shove them down their audience's throat, by indulging in long-winded solos, blinding, distracting lightshows, or flashy, ridiculous costumes.
Though my recent second viewing of "The Last Waltz" made me appreciate The Band and its contributions to music more than ever, that's not to say that I didn't like their music or have any clue of their greatness before then.
Like most people my age and older, I grew up hearing Band standards like "The Weight," "Up on Cripple Creek," "Stage Fright," "Ophelia," etc. on the radio. And I've long regarded "It Makes No Difference" as one of the most beautiful, aching love songs ever written or sung. But I think I was just too young to fully appreciate their amazing virtuosity as musicians, the delightful interplay of their traded vocals and harmony singing, and connect with their music in that deep, cosmic way back then.
This second viewing of their farewell movie was the bolt of lightning that awakened me to what I've been missing all these years.
Suddenly I realized the brilliance of songs I'd come to take for granted, songs I`d heard all my life but hadn`t really "heard," if you know what I mean. Ah, the hazards of classic rock or "oldies" stations. They can make truly great songs come to sound like mere background noise after you`ve heard them for the thousandth time.
The way Scorsese had the song "Stage Fright" lit and shot, for instance, from the perspective of the singer, Danko, all alone and illuminated on the darkened stage by a single spotlight, looking out over the huge audience. He put us in the position to really feel that stage fright, to fully understand those lyrics, "He got caught in the spotlight." And then the beauty of these lines: "For the price that the poor boy paid, he gets to sing just like a bird." After which Danko closes his eyes and does just that, letting escape a spontaneous, exuberant "Whoo-hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo!" Beautiful!
I've heard it said that you have to see The Band live to fully appreciate them, and now I know exactly what that means. So Scorsese has given those of us who never had that good fortune the next best thing: by filming them live--and on such a glorious night as this, their farewell concert--he's left movie audiences with this great gift of being able to discover, even 30 years down the road, the immense power of The Band.
The versions of their songs that they perform in this movie are like the ultimate, ideal, heightened versions. The fact that this was their big farewell concert probably had a lot to do with that. They knew they were playing these songs together for probably the last time. So they sang and played their hearts out. They gave us the best versions of these songs that we could ever hope to hear.
When Levon Helm belts out "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down," you hear it fully as the weeping, wailing funeral dirge for the old South that it's meant to be. It's like the sky is crying. He is singing for every Southerner who lost a son, husband, or father, or a way of life, to that war. Thanks to the beauty and intelligence of Robertson's lyrics, Helm's (and Danko's and Manuel's backing him on the choruses) impassioned singing and playing, the regimental sound of the drums, the magnificent horn section, we get the tremendously sad sense of a world falling apart.
This is haunting, timeless music for the ages. I'm so thankful that Martin Scorsese had the talent to use this music to make a haunting, timeless movie for the ages.
Yes, The Band is long gone, and some of its members have left the stage forever. But the rock 'n' roll they and their guests created that night so long ago will never die.
Eric Clapton? August 30, 2007
K. Barnett
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
This is truly wonderful but why is this listed as Eric Clapton? Seems very strange since he plays on one song and is arguably outshone by Mr Robertson! www.strangebrewrock.co.uk
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