The Last Waltz
Directed by: Martin Scorsese - 1 hour, 57 minutes - 1978 - USA - Color - Blu-ray - 1.85:1
Starring: The Band, Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Eric Clapton, Van Morrison, Neil Young, Emmylou Harris, Dr. John, Ronnie Hawkins
When I thought of this Film Club, this was the first end-of-The-Seventies movie that came to mind. Unfortunately, I didn’t really like The Band – I tried to watch the movie once and couldn’t make it past the first half due to a scratch on my rental disc. I took it as a sign and never finished. But Film Club is about discovering new films, rediscovering old ones, and second chances, so I gave Martin Scorsese and friends another shot and dudes came through. For some reason, I thought the film came out much earlier, like 1975. Which worked with my idea that punk rock killed off the ‘70s, or at least killed off the cliché of boring, interminable excess that I associated with the ‘70s. Most of the performers in The Last Waltz had already peaked a decade earlier, and gave off the vibe of folks who stayed at the party too long, the other cliché I associate with the ‘70s (notable exceptions being Neil Young, who stayed awesome throughout the decade, and Neil Diamond, who is awesome forever).
The Last Waltz managed plenty of excess. The Band wanted to throw a big party to send them off. They returned to their humble beginnings to play in the first venue where they performed as “The Band”, the quaint Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco, with a capacity of 5,400 (in Philly terms: two Electric Factories). The show was on Thanksgiving, and the audience was treated to a full Thanksgiving meal to start. Then the tables were removed, a waltz orchestra took the stage, and there was dancing. After the dancing, The Band took the stage. Robbie Robertson had his guitar bronzed for the occasion, “like a pair of baby shoes”, and it looked great under the stage lights. It also was 10 pounds heavier, so he had to switch guitars once his shoulder started to hurt. The Band played with their friends, the “special guests” unknown to ticketholders, who included Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, Muddy Waters, and many more. And behind the scenes, The Band’s members tolerated each other for the last set of interviews before they’d never have to see each other again.