The Last Waltz (re-release)
User Score
9.2 out of 10

Universal acclaim- based on 25 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 24 out of 25
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 25
  3. Negative: 0 out of 25

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  1. Nesbitt10
    Dec 21, 2012
    10
    What started out as a concert transformed into a celebration. In the fall of 1976, The Band played their final concert, documented by Martin Scorsese, and is widely considered one of the finest rock films ever made. A wide range of musical quests: Muddy Waters, Eric Clapton, Van Morrison, Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Dr. John, Emmylou Harris among others. Martin Scorsese masterfully captures their interactions on stage, while off stage he interviews each member (Robbie Robertson, Rick Danko, Richard Manuel, Garth Hudson, Levon Helm) sharing their experiences from sixteen years on the road. To quote Robbie Robertson: "We wanted it to be more than a "final concert". We wanted it to be a celebration: The Last Waltz. For additional reviews visit: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/member/Nesbitt10… Expand
  2. MM.
    Jan 23, 2008
    10
    The Last Waltz transcends its genre AND transcends its medium -- it is, simply, a remarkable work that succeeds both as Art and as Fun. My favorite moment: Look into Neil Young's eyes at he sings "Helpless" (harder than it sounds, given the jaw-dropping beauty and intensity of his performance). The whitewalls around his nostrils may have been edited out, but the manic, cocaine-fueled thousand-yard stare remains for posterity to enjoy. And as a bonus, you understand why Neil scared the living bejeebus out of Joni Mitchell, Graham Nash, and the rest of the "Canyon Rock" royalty when he so famously threatened, in song, to "kill them in their cars." God bless him :-)… Expand
  3. Tam
    Sep 12, 2007
    10
    I've never seen any other concert video even come close to this. They have captured a piece of what I can only imagine attending one of their shows would've been like.
  4. MatthewW.
    Oct 23, 2006
    10
    Simply the best rock-u-mentry I have ever seen!
  5. EtanC.
    Mar 1, 2006
    10
    Greatest concert film ever created. A true masterpiece
  6. GaryK.
    Jul 6, 2005
    10
    Great memories, two thumbs up.
  7. BrianH
    Apr 22, 2005
    10
    TWO THUMBS UP!
  8. P.
    Dec 19, 2004
    10
    All the constrination surrounding the concert fourtunately dosen't come across in the movie. Just pure rock n' roll bliss. Better than woodstock or any other rock fest that lasted for days. They played for 5 hours and bid farewell. No trying to replicate this decades later(woodstock). An event that could never be replicated in this day and age.
  9. Chongomann
    Nov 15, 2003
    10
    The best. period.
  10. ToddC.
    Sep 30, 2003
    10
    This is the best rockumentary ever filmed. The legendary band members on stage and backstage comical interviews. The civil war inspired lyrics written by the band's Robbi Robertson pour through in The Night they Drove Old Dixie Down are exceptional and to see them play it is something special.
  11. YoonMinC.
    Sep 26, 2003
    9
    This movie encapsulates what made The Band one of the most promising rock artists of the late 60s and early 70s before they succumbed to sudden decline in quality and output. By the time the movie was made The Band was a washed out act, and indeed the best material in this movie is nearly all from their early period. But, what a grand finale; tired and wizened soldiers charging uphill for one last time; and, it was a night when they weren't driven down. Accompanying the Band are some of the greatest names in blues, country, and rock--Muddy Waters, Neil Young, Emmylou Harris, Bob Dylan, etc. The one misconception of the film is Scorsese's additions of rather artily staged and rehearsed material; they interfere with the natural flow of the movie just as some of the visual flourishes tacked onto Riefenstahl's Olympia hardly enhances but rather hampers the excitement. Still, the best rock concert movie after Monterey Pop, Woodstock, and Stop Making Sense. … Expand
  12. DaveH.
    Nov 3, 2002
    10
    Quite possibly the greatest rock concert/doucumentary ever made...to hell with quite possibly, this is the greatest! Bands don't come much "tighter" than the Band. The one everybody else wishes they could make.

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
88 out of 100

Universal acclaim - based on 14 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 13 out of 14
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 14
  3. Negative: 0 out of 14
  1. New York Magazine (Vulture)
    Reviewed by: Peter Rainer
    100
    No other concert film has ever expressed so fervently the erotic root of rock. Seeing it is the opposite of taking a trip down memory lane; it's more like a plunge into the belly of the beast.
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  2. Seattle Post-Intelligencer
    Reviewed by: William Arnold
    100
    Soars on its purity of form, subdued elegance and tidy professionalism.
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  3. Washington Post
    Reviewed by: Richard Harrington
    100
    Is "The Last Waltz" the greatest rock movie of all time? It makes its case persuasively in a restoration overseen by director Martin Scorsese and producer Robbie Robertson that's been released to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the concert it made famous.
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