Regarded by many as the greatest rock movie of all time, The last waltz is the last word on the band’s last concert, which took place on Thanksgiving Day 1976. In 1978 it adorned the screen and shivered every soul wondering about the cinema. Director Martin Scorsese made The last waltz like his other feature films – storyboarding every sequence and top-class cameramen who were able to give the event a theatrical flair. San Francisco’s Winterland Arena became an enclave of Scorsese’s vision, a “decayed elegance” adorned with huge spotlights, opera drapes, and chandeliers. Its centerpiece was the strange mixture of blues, ragtime, country, folk and rock – served without excuse by the members of the band – and made every single image a gripping and memorable image in time. 22 years later, the film was restored, rolled through theaters, and released on DVD. Finally, The last waltz is still one of the noblest rock’n’roll affairs to ever subscribe to celluloid.
The last waltz was primarily an all-star event. The eclectic mix of guests included former band workers Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Van Morrison, Neil Young, Neil Diamond, Dr. John, Eric Clapton, Muddy Waters, Paul Butterfield, and the poets Michael McClure and Lawrence Ferlinghetti. The first on stage with the band was Ronnie Hawkins, the burly rockabilly singer, guitarist Robbie Robertson, keyboardist Garth Hudson, bassist Rick Danko, pianist Richard Manuel and drummer Levon Helm for the first time in Canada as his backing band brought together Falken. Then, just as the concert was coming to an end, Ringo Starr, Ron Wood, Stephen Stills and a host of other musicians joined the gathering for a rousing encore of Dylan’s “I Shall Be Released.” In between songs, Scorcese interviewed the band, with each member delighting the filmmaker with stories of their transient and generous career.
Robertson and his lethargic mannerisms confidently carried the brunt of a leader whose own ambitions were evidently held in check by traffic. Over the years, Robertson has gone to great lengths to restore and re-release The Last Waltz on DVD and Blu-ray Disc. It included audio commentary, a behind-the-scenes featurette, and additional unseen footage. The film retains its magical quality. When the band is joined by the Staple Singers for “The Weight” or Emmylou Harris for the haunting “Evengeline” – it seems as if music as an artistic language couldn’t become more emotional. The same goes for the band’s opening and closing sequences on a quiet stage, each on a different instrument and still as bubbly as ever as the movie theme plays. While bitter feuds and the deaths of Danko, Manuel and Helm nearly obliterated the band’s possibility of reunion, Robertson still delves into the depth and conviction that embodied the group.
~ Shawn Perry
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