I don't know for sure how many filmed productions of The Wall are out there, but I have viewed three over the years;
The original 1982 movie titled "Pink Floyd - The Wall' followed the release of the 1979 album of the same name and was directed by Alan Parker, co-starred Bob Geldof and Bob Hoskins, with brilliant drawings and animation by Gerald Scarfe.
Then there was the 1990 post tearing down of the wall separating East and West Germany production, titled 'The Wall - Live in Berlin', which utilized different guest performers for each song.
And then we have this 2014 work, 'Roger Waters - The Wall', based on the 2010-13 'The Wall Live' concert tours.
Which one should you view? All of them, of course. The 1982 movie best Elucidated the story of Pink, matching video exposition to the songs on the album. It's a classic. The deeply moving artistry of Gerald Scarfe alone is worth the time spent.
The 1990 live concert is for me the most memorable production. The producers mixed and matched footage from several of the shows performed in Berlin and came up with what I hold as the MASTER of the masterpieces. Ute Lemper kills it vocalizing The Thin Ice. And, that dress!. The instrumental portion of the song 'Is There Anybody Out There?' is performed so beautifully on acoustic guitars by Snowy White and Rick Di Fonzo with a string accompaniment from the Rundfunk Orchestra & Choir. The piece acts as a sort of sherbet pallet cleanser before the concert shifts gears. In short order Van Morrison is assigned the duty of singing 'Comfortably Numb' and takes the song to new heights. Morrison's heartfelt vocals combined with the chorus and guitar work performed by White and Di Fonzo from opposing towers renders an unparalleled experience. If I was trapped on a desert island and could only have one video production of The Wall, this iteration would be the one.
The strength of the 2014 production is the extended backstory of Roger Water's loss of both his father (WWII) and his grandfather (WWI), which were the genesis the album. That combined with stunning cinematography and fresh awe inspiring animations make this iteration as well a must see. Snowy White was invited back, but he does not take another swipe at either 'Is There Anybody Out There?' or 'Comfortably Numb'. That work is assigned to Dave Kilminster and G.E. Smith. When you watch the 1990 video and this one it is quite clear which rendition of both tunes is superior.
The original 1982 movie titled "Pink Floyd - The Wall' followed the release of the 1979 album of the same name and was directed by Alan Parker, co-starred Bob Geldof and Bob Hoskins, with brilliant drawings and animation by Gerald Scarfe.
Then there was the 1990 post tearing down of the wall separating East and West Germany production, titled 'The Wall - Live in Berlin', which utilized different guest performers for each song.
And then we have this 2014 work, 'Roger Waters - The Wall', based on the 2010-13 'The Wall Live' concert tours.
Which one should you view? All of them, of course. The 1982 movie best Elucidated the story of Pink, matching video exposition to the songs on the album. It's a classic. The deeply moving artistry of Gerald Scarfe alone is worth the time spent.
The 1990 live concert is for me the most memorable production. The producers mixed and matched footage from several of the shows performed in Berlin and came up with what I hold as the MASTER of the masterpieces. Ute Lemper kills it vocalizing The Thin Ice. And, that dress!. The instrumental portion of the song 'Is There Anybody Out There?' is performed so beautifully on acoustic guitars by Snowy White and Rick Di Fonzo with a string accompaniment from the Rundfunk Orchestra & Choir. The piece acts as a sort of sherbet pallet cleanser before the concert shifts gears. In short order Van Morrison is assigned the duty of singing 'Comfortably Numb' and takes the song to new heights. Morrison's heartfelt vocals combined with the chorus and guitar work performed by White and Di Fonzo from opposing towers renders an unparalleled experience. If I was trapped on a desert island and could only have one video production of The Wall, this iteration would be the one.
The strength of the 2014 production is the extended backstory of Roger Water's loss of both his father (WWII) and his grandfather (WWI), which were the genesis the album. That combined with stunning cinematography and fresh awe inspiring animations make this iteration as well a must see. Snowy White was invited back, but he does not take another swipe at either 'Is There Anybody Out There?' or 'Comfortably Numb'. That work is assigned to Dave Kilminster and G.E. Smith. When you watch the 1990 video and this one it is quite clear which rendition of both tunes is superior.