The Last Waltz **** (1978, The Band, Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, Van Morrison, Eric Clapton, Neil Diamond) – Classic Movie Review 5.374

Martin Scorsese’s legendary 1978 rockumentary film of the 1976 farewell gig by The Band is a model of excitement and dynamism. No wonder The Last Waltz has been called one of the greatest concert films.

Director Martin Scorsese’s legendary 1978 music documentary feature film of the celebration Thanksgiving 1976 farewell concert by The Band (for some time Bob Dylan’s backing group) is a model of excitement and dynamism for rock concert movies. No wonder The Last Waltz has been called one of the greatest concert films.

After 16 years on the road, The Band performs its last concert on a San Francisco stage (at the Winterland Arena) weirdly decorated with a chandelier loaned by 20th Century Fox, a set from La Traviata and stage decorations borrowed from a performance of Gone With the Wind at another San Francisco theatre.

Offstage at The Band’s Shangri-La recording studio above Zuma Beach in Malibu, Scorsese interviews the Band’s five members, Rick Danko (Bass / Violin / Vocal), Levon Helm (Drums / Mandolin / Vocal), Garth Hudson (Organ / Accordion / Saxophone / Synthesizers), Richard Manuel (Piano / Keyboards / Drums / Vocal) and Robbie Robertson (Himself – Guitar / Vocal). 

Robbie Robertson tells Scorsese: ‘The numbers start to scare you. I mean, I couldn’t live with 20 years on the road.’ But generally, The Band are not particularly forthcoming in their replies to the on-screen Scorsese in their quite heavily edited interviews. They tell some amusing stories and make some amusing remarks, but they are certainly not candid. Teasing, yes, but not candid. The Last Waltz is all about the music and the performances, and the performers, and that’s exactly what it should be. No kiss and tell. After a series of quite spectacular guest turns, Bob Dylan still manages to make a huge impact at the concert’s finale.

Scorsese also filmed for several days on a sound stage at MGM Studios, 10202 West Washington Blvd, Culver City, with The Band, The Staple Singers and Emmylou Harris. The Band’s studio performance of The Weight replaces the concert version.

The line-up of Seventies rock artists is as special as the director, and this is a most invigorating occasion, immaculately presented, for connoisseurs of Sixties and Seventies rock.

In the line-up of guest artists are Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, Van Morrison, Eric Clapton, Neil Diamond, The Staple Singers, Muddy Waters, Emmylou Harris, Paul Butterfield, Dr John, Ronnie Hawkins, Ringo Starr, Ron [Ronnie] Wood, Van Morrison, and Michael McClure.

The Last Waltz is shot by Michael Chapman, Vilmos Zsigmond and Michael W Watkins, and produced by Martin Scorsese, Jonathan T Taplin, Robbie Robertson and Joel Chernoff. Writer Mardik Martin is credited for the treatment. The concert’s musical director is John Simon, The Band’s original record producer.

The Band: ‘Well, we were The Hawks. And everything was fine, and all of a sudden, one day The Hawks [Ronnie Hawkins was first boss] meant something else altogether. When we were working with Bob Dylan and we moved to Woodstock, everybody referred to us as the band.’

‘Baby Don’t You Do It’ is the film’s opening song but was the concert’s final encore. Scorsese then flashes back to the start of the concert, opening with ‘Up on Cripple Creek’, and follows it more or less chronologically.

In an extraordinary occasion, the concert started at 5 pm, when the audience of 5,000 was served turkey dinners, followed by ballroom dancing with music by the Berkeley Promenade Orchestra, and The Band started its concert at around 9 pm.

It was released on DVD in 2002 along with a four-CD box set of the concert and studio recordings. The 40th Anniversary Deluxe Edition was released on DVD in 2020.

Jaime Royal “Robbie” Robertson OC (July 5, 1943 – August 9, 2023).

Canadian musician Robbie Robertson (July 5, 1943 – August 9, 2023) is remembered as lead guitarist for Bob Dylan from the mid-1960s to the mid-1970s; as guitarist and songwriter with The Band from start to 1978; and for his solo career.

As songwriter, Robertson is credited with writing ‘The Weight’, ‘The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down’ and ‘Up on Cripple Creek’ with The Band, and he had solo hits with ‘Broken Arrow’ and ‘Somewhere Down the Crazy River’.

Robertson is especially known for his collaborations with Martin Scorsese as film soundtrack producer and composer, beginning with The Last Waltz (1978), and including Raging Bull (1980), The King of Comedy (1983), Casino (1995), The Departed (2006), The Wolf of Wall Street (2013), The Irishman (2019), and Killers of the Flower Moon (2023). But he also worked on many other film and TV soundtracks.

Martin Scorsese: ‘There’s never enough time with anyone you love. And I loved Robbie.’

TRACK LISTING: 01. “Don’t Do It” – The Band 02. “Theme from The Last Waltz” – The Band 03. “Up on Cripple Creek” – The Band 04. “The Shape I’m In” – The Band 05. “Who Do You Love?” – Ronnie Hawkins 06. “It Makes No Difference” – The Band 07. Introduction to The Canterbury Tales in Chaucerian dialect – Michael McClure 08. “Such a Night”- Dr. John 09. “Helpless” – Neil Young 10. “Stage Fright” – The Band 11. “The Weight” (studio version) – The Band and The Staple Singers 12. “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down” – The Band 13. “Dry Your Eyes” – Neil Diamond 14. “Coyote” – Joni Mitchell 15. “Mystery Train” – Paul Butterfield 16. “Mannish Boy” – Muddy Waters 17. “Further on Up the Road” – Eric Clapton 18. “Evangeline” (studio version) – The Band and Emmylou Harris 19. “Genetic Method” / “Chest Fever” – The Band 20. “Ophelia” – The Band 21. “Caravan” – Van Morrison 22. “Loud Prayer” – Lawrence Ferlinghetti 23. “Forever Young” – Bob Dylan 24. “Baby Let Me Follow You Down” – Bob Dylan 25. “I Shall Be Released” – The Band and guests plus Ronnie Wood and Ringo Starr

PERFORMERS:

The Band: Rick Danko – bass, fiddle, vocals; Levon Helm – drums, mandolin, vocals; Garth Hudson – organ, piano, accordion, synthesizers, soprano saxophone, clavinet; Richard Manuel – piano, organ, drums, clavinet, dobro, vocals; Robbie Robertson – guitar, piano.

Guests: Paul Butterfield – harmonica, vocals; Bobby Charles – vocals; Eric Clapton – guitar, vocals; Neil Diamond – guitar, vocals; Dr. John – piano, guitar, congas, vocals; Bob Dylan – guitar, vocals; Bill Graham – master of ceremonies; Emmylou Harris – acoustic guitar, vocals; Ronnie Hawkins – vocals; Joni Mitchell – acoustic guitar, vocals; Van Morrison – vocals; Pinetop Perkins – piano, vocals; Carl Radle – bass; Cleotha Staples – backing vocals; Mavis Staples – vocals; Roebuck “Pops” Staples – guitar, vocals; Yvonne Staples – backing vocals; Ringo Starr – drums; Stephen Stills – guitar; Muddy Waters – vocals; Ronnie Wood – guitar; Neil Young – guitars, harmonica, vocals

© Derek Winnert 2017 Classic Movie Review 5,374

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