When Alan Parker’s film came originally out, it appeared to be the perfect, the vital counterpart to the Pink Floyd concept album. Speaking from today, it is very hard to imagine how the record could have acquired the cult status it has without the images by Parker and Gerald Scarfe, taking up the motives of the record art and expanding it. HAve I seen the film when it originally came out? I cannot remember. But I remember that I saw I have actually seen the film in 1989, in the first THX theater that I’ve ever been to, I think it was in Paris. And oh what a sensational experience, completely overwhelming, mind-blowing, which is exactly the way the music is supposed to be consumed. Without thinking, just allowing to be overwhelmed by the sheer greatness on the verge of kitsch, and now with additional support to blow away your visual senses, as well, so not to allow you to get distracted.
Parker would not be doing that film today again, I am almost sure – there are instances where the fantasy aura mixes strangely with very blunt pictures of riots and low-production design shots of styrofoam walls. This kind of thing would today fall into the hands of the Adrian Lyne or Ridley Scott, maybe. But the Englishness Alan Parker could give to the overboarding fantasy might actually be beneficial to the overall feeling of detachment the film provides. The DVD I watched was probably remastered, as it really has a very good sound and rather brilliant picture. Reminiscent of the THX experience, surely not equasl to it, however.
IMDB:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0084503/
Overview over reviews:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0084503/externalreviews
thomas4cinema 