The Last Waltz
The Last Waltz
Martin Scorsese and a rogues’ gallery of great cinematographers—Michael Chapman, Vilmos Zsigmond, and László Kovács among them—capture the farewell performance of rock icons The Band in a bespoke setting. The brainchild of promoter Bill Graham and production designed by West Side Story’s (1961) Boris Leven, The Band’s Thanksgiving 1976 performance at San Francisco’s iconic Winterland Ballroom is intercut with casual conversations with members of the group. The crowded, smoke-ringed stage hosts raucous turns from Muddy Waters, Neil Diamond, Van Morrison, Bob Dylan, and The Staple Singers, who gracefully transform “The Weight” into a call-and-response anthem.
DIRECTED BY: Martin Scorsese. WITH: Rick Danko, Levon Helm, Garth Hudson, Robbie Robertson. 1978. 117 min. USA. Color. English. Rated PG. 4K DCP.
Academy Museum film programming generously funded by the Richard Roth Foundation.
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