When you get right down to it, this is my favorite concert film of all time. More than The Last Waltz, more than Stop Making Sense.
It has my favorite cut of all time. Just when the hardcore bass groove in “Echoes Part I” begins, we cut to that famous tracking shot BEHIND the band. We see the stacks of gear (Pink Floyd. London.) and then we see. . .the other cameras shooting US. For its time, so far out. For today, even: FAR OUT.
There are three edits of this film. As it happens, the best one, 1974, only exists on VHS and LaserDisc. But you can replicate it with the DVD by flipping between the 1972 and 2003 cuts.
1972 consists of just the songs.
1974 consists of the songs, plus the (staged) recording footage of “Dark Side of the Moon” plus some verite stuff (eating pie) and some interview footage. It is the best cut.
2003 is a “director’s cut” which is, essentially, 1974 with all sorts of dumbass tinkering. Basically, Jar-Jar is all over it. Lame footage of space and alternate black and white (non-Pompeii) footage. It’s a bunch of screensavers tinkering with one of the most beloved films ever. Eff it.
But that aside, if you haven’t seen this. . . well. . . I don’t know how it will land if you didn’t first fall in love with this back in the day.
How many of us were led to this from “The Wall” only to be baffled by the free form, lyric-less performances? This film is a treasure.
