I make no secret of being a huge Pink Floyd fan. The Wall is one of my favourite of their albums and I vividly recalled several images from the film of the same name, from when I saw it in 1988. Last night, I decided to watch it again to see what I felt about it this time. It's not an entirely pleasant experience. You have been warned!
The Wall is a film starring Bob Geldof as Pink, the lead character. Using the Floyd's album soundtrack as a background, we see how Pink's childhood is shaped by his mother and his absent father who was a soldier in WWII. He is yelled at by nasty teachers in school and spends his leisure time running round bomb sites with his mates.
As he gets older, we see his descent into insanity as he plays out a variety of roles from famous rock star (complete with eager groupies) to militant leader of something akin to the Nazis to a hospital patient who ends up meeting his childhood self. As he questions his self-worth, the famous trial sequence plays out, where characters from his past (his mother, teacher, etc.) criticize him in front of a court.
As you can see, it's not an ordinary film and neither is it always easy to understand. The best thing is just to watch it and you will find out it does make a kind of sense!
The actors themselves do not speak many words; the dialogue in the film predominantly comes from the wonderful lyrics from The Wall soundtrack. Roger Waters wrote most of these and they are sheer poetic brilliance. He was also heavily involved in the film and elements of Pink's character are based on himself.
Bob Geldof does an excellent job as Pink, displaying a great variety of emotion in his face and throwing himself into such a hard role - both physically and mentally - with wild abandon. His performance is absorbing but frightening. His mad staring eyes and deep frowning expression are used to great effect here.
There are some interesting cameos in the film. Bob Hoskins plays Pink's manager, James Hazeldine has a small role, Joanne Whalley (-Kilmer) and Gary Olsen (2 point 4 Children) have even smaller roles! Roger Waters is there somewhere as a wedding guest, but I haven't spotted him yet.
There are large sections of animation in the film by Gerald Scarfe. As well as the impressive Trial sequence, the others are equally memorable. The war-based section of animation is filled with bloody images of war, death, skeletons and the like, but also has a very powerful anti-war message with its fields of crucifixes dripping blood. Pink Floyd are not afraid of making political statements!
Scarfe's animation evokes a variety of emotional responses. One of the sequences is very sexual with flowers impregnating in a way which feels violent like rape. But some of the visual images are beautiful, my favourite being the leaf rolling over in the breeze, becoming a naked faceless body.
The visual images used in the film are vivid and often disturbing. As you would maybe expect from the themes mentioned already, we see plenty of sex, violence and gore. While the sex is minimal and unmemorable, the violence is often extreme - from Pink smashing up his flat to the scenes of skinheads beating up a black man in the street.
You can argue this kind of thing isn't gratuitous, because the meanings behind it are anti-racist and anti-fascist, but they are still upsetting and unsettling to watch. In fact, I have never yet been able to watch this film through without hiding my eyes a few times! For me, I don't like the Christ-like images of Pink in the swimming pool when it turns to blood and I hate the scene of him shaving.
The worst section of the film for me though is - ironically - when my all-time favourite song is playing - Comfortably Numb. The song itself works on many levels for me, but here it definitely pertains to the use of drugs and their reactions on your mind and body. As we see what Pink is really going through and what he feels he is experiencing (two different things), we see some of the most horrific images - well, I don't see many, as I watch this peeking over my hands! But the ones I have caught have included Pink clutching at his face and pulling skin off himself. Really quite vile.
There are hundreds of child extras used in the film and some of the time, they wear strange masks which are crude and distort facial features in a weird way. I don't like these either, they give me a shiver down my back. But then I'm sure many of us remember the video to their hit song Another Brick In The Wall, where the children are fed into the sausage machine? The film version is scarier.
So it's not a film you enjoy as such, more one that you experience. My husband found it dull and depressing and left the room - but he's not a Floyd fan anyway. It's certainly not something to sit your toddler and your Grandma in front of! But I do believe it's worth seeing - especially if you're a Floyd fan - because it does help bring the songs to life and shows their meanings.
Although it might seem as though I have given quite a lot away in this review, the plot itself is minimal, the visualization is the key and the full experience of this can only be achieved through watching the film. It will not be a pleasant or easy experience though, but it does enlighten you. It will make you think about childhood and its psychological influences on your adult self. Also if you have ever suffered from mental illness (like I have with depression), you will find yourself relating to many of the things Pink goes through here. If you have ever taken LSD or hallucinogenic drugs (unlike me!), you will probably relate even more!
The film is rated a 15 in the UK, lasts 95 minutes and was made in 1982. It is directed by Alan Parker and won two BAFTA Awards. The DVD is available for £12.49 from Amazon.
I would recommend you watch it at least once, but only if you have a strong stomach! Essential viewing for Floyd fans, of course, but personally, I much prefer the CD.
PLEASE NOTE - Although this is not the Digipack version, I have had to place my review here as the DVD only category is not working.
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
Production Year: 1999 - Music / Performing Arts - Original Language: English - Classification: Exempt - Starring: Donny Osmond, Joan Collins, Richard Attenborough
It's a very strange and disturbing film indeed, not easy viewing at all, the Gerald Scarfe cartoons are stunning though, especially on " Empty Spaces "........A really well written and accurate review here too.........Roy
Aug 17th, 2005
exceptional by (12%):
very helpful by (88%):
