The Wall

 

It's a very good movie, and the only thing that makes it hard is that what was essentially a rock opera, all of a sudden is just another album of hits and songs ... and the concept and idea is wasted and not worth the discussion.

 

The movie is magnificent. I saw it before it was cut up for general release in full blown quadraphonic sound ... and it ran longer than the videos out there, even today or the remastered lie version.

 

I still think that the movie got cut up badly and hurt in story and concept because of its length and relationship to the album to be released ... you couldn't have the movie at 3 albums worth and then 2 LP's of music ... and it is basically what you got and rock fans are not interested in the relationship between the two.

 

As a movie itself, it is excellent and the cartoons help tremendously to further the story ... but it is way too cut up to create a story that is thorough and intelligeable ... the story itself as shown is convoluted and confusing and you are not sure where things fit or not ... it was a lot of that kind of thinking in the late 70's and early 80's that helped create glam bands and MTV ... it became all SHOW and very little go ... in the end, we love it because there are way too many things in there that are memorable and very good ... but it wouldn't pass many literary grades or even film/movie grades ... and as such it becomes a very nice cartoon and music ... and nothing else.

 

By now, I think that Roger's recent version, is more finely tuned to make better sense ... but I have a feeling that even if it is more political, it is not that complete or that literary and its ability to turn an individual story into a political statement would not be appropriate and in that sense disappointing. ... but as a document of a time, and a gigantic rock opera for which there are almost no equals from our time on this earth ... it is one of the best examples of how hard we tried to make things meaningful and important in both music and film.  And as such it is no different than how convoluted and crazy and even silly, 2001 A Space Odyssey also was ... but we all loved it ... also for its exceptional use of music which made the whole thing look spectacular ... specially if you saw it at the Cinerama Dome, of course, totally stoned out of your mind! ... (and then went to see Hair, next door after that show!)