Pink Floyd: The Wall *** (1982, Bob Geldof, Christine Hargreaves, Bob Hoskins, James Laurenson) – Classic Movie Review 8737

Director Alan Parker’s 1982 film Pink Floyd: The Wall, a visual interpretation of Pink Floyd’s massive-selling concept album, is an overblown, much too literal view of the descent into madness of a rock star called Pink (Bob Geldof).

Pink Floyd’s frontman Roger Waters provides the provocative music and lyrics, but the tale’s self-absorption and misogyny overpower the often impressive imagery.

Clever cartoonist Gerald Scarfe designed the brilliant animation for the film’s most famous sequence and song, ‘Another Brick in the Wall’, by a long way the best four minutes in the movie.

Pink Floyd: The Wall won two BAFTA Film Awards – for Best Original Song, ‘Another Brick in the Wall’, by Roger Waters and for Best Sound.

Also in the cast are Christine Hargreaves as Pink’s mother, Bob Hoskins as Rock and Roll Manager, James Laurenson as Pink’s father), Eleanor David as Pink’s wife, Kevin McKeon as young Pink, David Bingham, Jenny Wright, Alex McAvoy as teacher, Ellis Dale, James Hazeldine, Margery Mason [Marjorie Mason] as teacher’s wife, Robert Bridges, Michael Ensign, Joanne Whalley. Philip [Phil] Davis, Ray Mort, Nell Campbell, Eddie Tagoe, Albert Moses, Diana King, Jason Dors Lake, and Roger Waters as Best Man.

Apart from Pink, the characters are not given names.

Pink Floyd: The Wall [The Wall] is directed by Alan Parker, runs 98 minutes, is made by Goldcrest Films International, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and Tinblue [Tin Blue], is released by United International Pictures (1982) (UK) and MGM/UA Entertainment Company (1982) (US), is written by Roger Waters, is shot in Metrocolor by Peter Biziou, is produced by Alan Marshall and is scored by Roger Waters, with Production Design by Brian Morris.

It cost $12,000,000, and earned $22,244,207 in the US.

Margery Mason was born on 27 September 1913 in Hackney, London, and was known for The Princess Bride (1987), Love Actually (2003) and Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005). Married to Peter Daminoff, she died on January 26, 2014 in Swiss Cottage, London, aged 100 years, 120 days. She is the first Harry Potter cast member to reach 100. She got her diving certificate at the age of 81.

Another Brick in the Wall’s final shot with young Pink and the Islington Green School class of 1951 throwing the teacher into a bonfire was deleted from the UK release for fears children would copy the stunt.

© Derek Winnert 2019 Classic Movie Review 8737

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