Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.5

The Last Waltz Blu-ray Movie Review

Many of music's brightest stars join Bob Dylan's backup band in a legendary concert that shines on Blu-ray.

Reviewed by Greg Maltz December 6, 2007

Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton, Joni Mitchell, Neil Young, Van Morrison--these artists and many more grace the stage in The Band's farewell concert at the Winterland ballroom. More than a performance, The Last Waltz documents an important microcosm to evaluate the world of rock'n roll and many of its biggest stars in the 1970s. The concert rocks. The performers are inspired, appearing at the peak of their powers. And the Blu-ray release goes far beyond earlier DVD versions to reveal that The Last Waltz is indeed filmed gorgeously, with sound that is both rich and refined.

Bob Dylan, with his trademark white hat, leads a stage packed with talent in a rousing performance of "I Shall Be Released".

If not for two icons who pulled The Band into their inner spheres, there would be no The Last Waltz. One was Bob Dylan; the other, Martin Scorsese. Without Dylan, The Band would not have achieved stardom. Dylan was the most influential singer/songwriter of the past century and he chose this quintet to record his songs on albums like "Planet Waves". The Band, with its folk roots, suited Dylan's songwriting and vocal style, so the collaboration was not a complete coincidence. However, the connection to Scorsese was coincidental: the director and Band guitarist Robbie Robertson were roommates together, sharing an address in the Hollywood hills. The relationship between Scorsese and Robertson is one of the reasons The Last Waltz works so well as a series of interviews interspersed with performances. Robertson, who produced the film, delivers confidence and raw energy that translate into vibrance, comaraderie and musical prowess, from his anecdotes of life as a rock star on the road to his simple but effective lead guitar lines. At a time when Scorsese was focusing his camera on actors like Harvey Keitel and Robert De Niro, Robertson proved to be an apt protagonist.

But as tastefully as Robertson plays the guitar and as authentic as he comes across in his on- camera storytelling, it is the artistry of both Scorsese and Dylan that catapult The Last Waltz from banal concert footage to a storied event in rock lore. Like a thesis in an award-winning essay, The Last Waltz begins with The Band taking their final bows as they walked off the stage. Then Scorsese shows exactly what needs to be seen. In an age of poor camera angles and cheap productions, The Last Waltz was captured flawlessly with camera work and lighting that pay dividends on Blu-ray. The gifted musicianship. The legends. The performances. The stories. The songs. And in the end, the entire stage, filled with every member of The Band and each guest singing Dylan's song of freedom and redemption: "I see my light come shining from the West down to the East. Any day now, any way now, I shall be released."

In the 1970s, the rise of metal, new wave and punk, along with cultural cynicism and excesses, had implications for all rock acts. Many groups disbanded due to internal and external pressures. The majority of them dissolved behind the scenes, but The Last Waltz immortalized The Band's final concert and delivered insight into the decision to call it quits. Contributing to that decision were more than 10 years on the road and some solo ambitions of Robertson, Levon Helm, Rick Danko, Richard Manuel and Garth Hudson--The Band.

Although the quintet wrote many songs that helped define the era (e.g., The Weight), several of the most inspirational songs in The Last Waltz, including "I Shall Be Released", "Caravan", "Helpless" and "Coyote", are by other artists. The Band functions as a backup group for each guest. From the fiery blues shout of Muddy Waters to the plaintive voice of Neil Diamond to the biting harmonica of Paul Butterfield, The Band wraps itself around the style and talents of each guest artist with authority and supportive muscle. The group never strays too far from its folk and blues roots. And clearly that was one reason The Band called it quits after a decade together. Their time had come. Although The Band did tour again after the Winterland concert, it was never the same. For all intents and purposes, The Last Waltz was its swan song. Ten years after the movie was filmed, Richard Manuel committed suicide.

Some of the concert's defining moments had little to do with The Band and more to do with Dylan's influence and powerful performance, Mitchell's jazz inflections, Morrison's gritty vocals and Clapton's guitar phrasing. Watch the way Neil Young, the most obvious of the many Dylan disciples, oggles his hero across the stage. In Dylan, The Last Waltz showcases a songwriter who transformed popular music from sophomoric love songs to multilayered poetry...an artist who defied catagorization, who at the peak of his popularity, retreated to upstate New York with none other than The Band. His presence at The Last Waltz put the final exclamation point on the group's farewell.

The Last Waltz Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Those who did not see The Last Waltz in theaters are in for a treat. The Blu-ray is remarkably film- like, with contrast, resolution and grain normally associated with filmstock. Noise is minimal, and the picture is remarkably clean and detailed, while retaining warmth. Even the definition visible in the menu's navigation bar is resolved gorgeously, giving a more modern look and feel, as well as excellent navigation to The Last Waltz. The film is also made timeless by Scorsese's attention to camera angles, framing and lighting. Unlike most concert footage where the long shots are jittery and the close-ups miss the mark, The Last Waltz focuses on the key areas to see at any given moment, whether it's the facial expression of a musician or the entire band on the stage. The 1080p resolution instantly communicates details unresolved in NTSC versions, including fabric textures, hair, or in Neil Young's case a bit of white powder near his nose, rumored to be cocaine. The definition is fantastic and dramatically improves the footage compared to DVD releases.

The Last Waltz Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Aside from the camerawork, the real gift of The Last Waltz is the music, and the BD production offers a significant upgrade over the CD and DVD versions. The 5.1 lossless PCM is a treat with extended treble, solid midrange and taught bass. Every instrument is audible and images superbly in the soundstage, which is lush deep and vibrant. Listen to Joni Mitchell sing backup vocals in Helpless. Female voices are an excellent reference for judging the audible merits of recordings, and here Mitchell sounds full and with gorgeous timbre. Throughout her subsequent performance of Coyote, the way she breaks from spoken words into more melodic placement of the notes soars above the taught rhythmic pulse of The Band. The mix shows each of the instruments off well, with no audible congestion that tends to make instruments sound like they're tripping over each other in

The Last Waltz Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The special feature that adds the most value to The Last Waltz is Martin Scorsese's commentary. Robbie Robertson's comments, while not technical in any way, are also insightful, but Scorsese's attention to detail in capturing the performances becomes abundantly clear. The director tackled every challenge and leapt every hurdle in filming the key shots, camera angles and close-ups that give The Last Waltz its visual edge over other concerts filmed in the 1970s. Whether you want to listen to Scorsese go into the technical details is another matter. Peppering the commentary with kind words about the guest artists and his comrades in The Band, Robertson shows a more relaxed approach than his former roommate.

"Revisiting The Last Waltz", a 20-minute special featuring Scorsese and Robertson, covers slightly different ground than the audio commentary. The focus of the featurette is the concert's importance and its roll in ushering in the end of an era, not just the end of The Band. Some of the supplementary bonuses available on the previous DVD release are not included, including additional concert audio. Fans interested in this music will find it on the expanded multiple CD release from Sony.

The Last Waltz Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The Last Waltz is essential viewing for classic rock aficionados and fans of Dylan or the other guest artists. Of course, if you're at all into the songs of The Band, especially their landmark debut album, Music from the Big Pink, The Last Waltz is an absolute revelation and the Blu-ray is now the ultimate version. To see the members of the band performing gives a deeper understanding of their style and musical skills. It may look a bit dated, but The Last Waltz is refreshing at the same time. It takes us back to an era when rock stardom was achieved more by talent and dedication to the music compared with today's music business of dancing divas and gangsta rappers. An easy recommendation.