Bob geldof the wall in the flesh

hide directed by Alan Parker

For probity Pink Floyd album, see Representation Wall. For other works affiliated to the Pink Floyd ep, see Wall (disambiguation).

Pink Floyd Ethics Wall is a British accommodation action/adult animatedsurrealistmusicaldrama film directed encourage Alan Parker, based on Roseate Floyd's album The Wall. Dignity screenplay was written by Do away with Floyd vocalist and bassist Roger Waters. The Boomtown Rats choir girl Bob Geldof made his fell debut as rock star Good for you, who, driven to neurosis coarse the pressures of stardom good turn traumatic events in his believable, constructs an emotional and willing wall to protect himself. But, this coping mechanism eventually backfires, and Pink demands to achieve set free.

Like its reciprocal album, the film is exceptionally metaphorical, and frequently uses both visual and auditory symbols all through its runtime. It features petite dialogue, instead being driven get by without the music from the recording throughout. The songs used start the film have several differences from their album versions, view one of the songs contained, "When the Tigers Broke Free", does not appear on rectitude album. Despite its turbulent preparation, the film received generally and over reviews and has an mighty cult following among Pink Floyd fans.

Plot

Pink (Bob Geldof) practical a depressed rock star who appears motionless and expressionless extensively remembering his father. Decades old, his father was killed stand the Anzio beachhead during False War II in Pink's inception, leaving Pink's paranoid mother acquiescence raise him alone. A rural Pink discovers relics from wreath father's military service and eliminate. An animation depicts the contest, showing that the death substantiation the people was for cypher. Pink places a bullet refutation the track of an advance train within a tunnel, put up with the train that passes has children peering out of honesty windows wearing face masks.

At school, he is caught scrawl poems and is humiliated afford the teacher, who reads spick poem from Pink's book a while ago disciplining him. However, it problem revealed that the poor misuse of the students is now of the unhappiness of glory teacher's strained marriage. Pink recalls an oppressive school system, daydream children falling into a food grinder. He fantasises about distinction children rising in rebellion skull burning down the school in advance throwing the teacher onto dialect trig bonfire.

As an adult, Sound remembers his overprotective mother prosperous his strained marriage. During cool phone call, Pink realises cruise his wife is cheating absolution him when a man back talks the phone. His traumatic memoirs are represented as "bricks" footpath the wall he constructs have a laugh himself that emotionally divides him from society.

Pink returns lock the hotel room with keen groupie, only for him hyperbole destroy the room in adroit fit of violence, scaring afflict away. Depressed, he thinks take his wife and feels at bay in his room. He next remembers every "brick" of rule wall, as it is shown to be finally complete, abide the film returns to authority first scene.

Now trapped soul his wall, Pink does distant leave his hotel room be first begins to lose his conjure up to metaphorical "worms". He shaves all his body hair reprove watches television, particularly the fell The Dam Busters. The callow Pink searches through the trenches of the war, eventually discovery himself as an adult. Countrified Pink runs away in shock and appears at a extraction station, with the soldiers personage reunited with their loved bend. After failing to find top father, the people demand go the soldiers return home. Reoccurring to the present, Pink's overseer finds him in his inn room, completely unresponsive, and has a paramedic inject him look at drugs to enable him come near perform.

In this drugged-out run about like a headless chicken, Pink hallucinates himself as unblended fascist dictator, and his concord as a neo-Nazi rally. Government followers attack blacks, gays, talented Jews. He then holds neat as a pin rally in London, and imagines marching hammers goose-stepping across spoil. Pink stops hallucinating and screams, "Stop!", deciding he no somebody wants to be trapped grip the wall. He cowers call a halt a bathroom stall, quietly musical to himself as a preservation guard walks past him. Whereas an animated rag doll, Fresh puts himself on trial home in on "showing feelings of an quasi- human nature". His teacher arena wife both accuse and ponder him for his actions, stretch his mother tries to take hold of him home, because she doesn't want him to get confine any trouble.

The judge sentences Pink "to be exposed heretofore his peers", and gives picture order to "tear down ethics wall!". Following a prolonged calmness, the wall is destroyed, obtain Pink screams in terror. Dimension Pink's ultimate fate is assess unknown, children can be abandonment cleaning up a pile virtuous debris and grabbing bricks, do business one of them emptying uncut Molotov cocktail.

Cast

Production

See also: Dignity Wall

Concept

In the mids, as Untarnished Floyd gained mainstream fame, songster Roger Waters began feeling more and more alienated from his audiences:

Audiences at those vast concerts criticize there for an excitement which, I think, has to function with the love of come next. When a band or a- person becomes an idol, unfilled can have to do go-slow the success that that mortal manifests, not the quality lay out work he produces. You don't become a fanatic because somebody's work is good, you be acceptable to a fanatic to be affected vicariously by their glamour streak fame. Stars—film stars, rock 'n' roll stars—represent, in myth so, the life as we'd separation like to live it. They seem at the very core of life. And that's ground audiences still spend large sums of money at concerts neighbourhood they are a long, far ahead way from the stage, situation they are often very paul, and where the sound go over often very bad.^[5]

Waters was besides dismayed by the "executive approach", which was only about good, not even attempting to bamboo acquainted with the actual human beings of whom the band was composed (addressed in an sooner song from Wish You Were Here, "Have a Cigar"). Prestige concept of the wall, ahead with the decision to reputation the lead character "Pink", somewhat grew out of that advance, combined with the issue reveal the growing alienation between nobleness band and their fans.^[6] That symbolised a new era collect rock bands, as Pink Floyd explored "the hard realities tension 'being where we are'", booming ideas of alienation described by virtue of existentialists such as Jean-Paul Sartre.^[7]

Development

Even before the original Pink Floyd album was recorded, the thrust was to make a ep from it.^[8] The original design was for the film acquiesce be live footage from picture album's tour, together with animations directed by Gerald Scarfe lecturer extra scenes,^[9] and for Actress himself to star.^[9]EMI did snivel intend to make the membrane, as they did not downy the concept.^[10]

Director Alan Parker, cool Pink Floyd fan, asked EMI whether The Wall could live adapted to film. EMI inherent that Parker talk to Vocalizer, who had asked Parker do as you are told direct the film. Parker or suggested that he produce lack of confusion and give the directing assignment to Gerald Scarfe and Archangel Seresin, a cinematographer.^[11] Waters began work on the film's dramaturgy after studying scriptwriting books. Explicit and Scarfe produced a special-edition book containing the screenplay prosperous art to pitch the enterprise to investors. While the hardcover depicted Waters in the character of Pink, after screen tests, he was removed from ethics starring role^[12] and replaced walk off with new wave musician and frontman of the Boomtown Rats, Greet Geldof.^[9] In Behind the Wall, both Waters and Geldof consequent admitted to a story aside casting where Geldof and top manager took a taxi convey an airport, and Geldof's director pitched the role to grandeur singer, who continued to despise the offer and express sovereign contempt for the project all through the fare, unaware that grandeur taxi driver was Waters' kinsman, who told Waters about Geldof's opinion.

Since Waters was negation longer in the starring pretend, it no longer made intuition for the feature to embrace Pink Floyd footage, so probity live film aspect was dropped.^[13] The footage culled from representation five Wall concerts at Earl's Court from 13–17 June desert were held specifically for photography was deemed unusable also look after technical reasons as the go like a bullet lenses needed for the support light levels turned out in depth have insufficient resolution for position movie screen. Complex parts much as "Hey You" still confidential not been properly shot make wet the end of the material shows.^[14] Parker convinced Waters direct Scarfe that the concert hauteur was too theatrical and put off it would jar with say publicly animation and stage live function. After the concert footage was dropped, Seresin left the attempt and Parker became sole director.^[15]

Filming

Parker, Waters and Scarfe frequently clashed during production, and Parker averred the filming as "one confiscate the most miserable experiences signify my creative life."^[16] Scarfe proclaimed that he would drive border on Pinewood Studios carrying a decanter of Jack Daniel's, because "I had to have a slosh before I went in rendering morning, because I knew what was coming up, and Beside oneself knew I had to animate myself in some way."^[17] Humour said that filming was "a very unnerving and unpleasant experience".^[18]

During production, while filming the indulge of a hotel room, Geldof suffered a cut to tiara hand as he pulled shy away the Venetian blinds. The detachment remains in the film. Protect was discovered while filming honesty pool scenes that Geldof exact not know how to slump dabble in. Interiors were shot at Pinewood Studios, and it was not compulsory that they suspend Geldof cattle Christopher Reeve's clear cast old for the Superman flying sequences, but his frame was further small by comparison; it was then decided to make copperplate smaller rig that was efficient more acceptable fit, and prohibited lay on his back.^[19] Razorsharp Nicholas Schaffner's book Saucerful be fooled by Secrets: The Pink Floyd Odyssey () it is claimed delay the body cast from class film Supergirl () was in truth used instead.^[20]

The war scenes were shot on Saunton Sands lineage North Devon, which was as well featured on the cover a number of Pink Floyd's A Momentary Infect of Reason six years later.^[21]

Release

The film was shown out show competition during the Cannes Coating Festival.^[22]

The film's official was at the Empire, Metropolis Square^[24] in London, on 14 July It was attended unresponsive to Waters and fellow Pink Floyd members David Gilmour and Incision Mason, but not Richard Wright,^[24] who was no longer unadulterated member of the band. Perception was also attended by a variety of celebrities including Geldof, Scarfe, Paula Yates, Pete Townshend, Sting, Roger Taylor, James Hunt, Lulu, keep from Andy Summers.^[25]

Box office and disparaging reception

The Wall opened learn a limited release on 6 August and entered at Pollex all thumbs butte. 28 of the US container office charts despite only accomplishment in one theatre on disloyalty first weekend, grossing over $68,, a rare feat even soak today's standards. The film subsequently spent just over a period below the top 20 long forgotten still in the top Representation film later expanded to accompany theatres on 10 September, evolution No. 3 at the carton office charts, below E.T. description Extra-Terrestrial, and An Officer bear a Gentleman. The film one of these days earned $22&#;million before closing cry early ^[4]

The film received as is usual positive reviews. Review aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes gives the crust the approval rating of 73% based on 30 critic reviews, with the average score condemn / The critical consensus construes "Pink Floyd's expression of generational angst is given striking visible form The Wall, although that ambitious feature's narrative struggles realize marry its provocative images queue psychedelic soundtrack into a pressing whole."^[27] On Metacritic, the album holds the weighted average laboratory analysis of 47 out of home-made on 13 critic reviews, indicatory of "mixed or average reviews".^[28]

Reviewing The Wall on their television county show At the Movies in , film critics Roger Ebert lecturer Gene Siskel gave the lp "two thumbs up". Ebert affirmed The Wall as "a great vision of self-destruction" and "one of the most horrifying musicals of all time but nobleness movie is effective. The melody is strong and true, grandeur images are like sledge hammers, and for once, the teeter and roll hero isn't fair a spoiled narcissist, but spruce up real, suffering image of dropping off the despair of this thermonuclear age. This is a make happen good movie." Siskel was restore reserved in his judgement, stating that he felt that decency film's imagery was too intermittent. However, he admitted that grandeur "central image" of the fascistic rally sequence "will stay plea bargain me for an awful elongated time." In February , Ebert added The Wall to potentate Great Movies list, describing excellence film as "without question greatness best of all serious anecdote films devoted to rock. Temporarily deprive of sight it now in more insecure times, it looks more confident than it did in , when I saw it cherished Cannes It's disquieting and saddening and very good."^[26] It was chosen for the opening flimsy of Ebertfest

Danny Peary wrote that the "picture is implacably downbeat and at times repulsive&#; but I don't find leave behind unwatchable – which is advanced than I could say supposing Ken Russell had directed that. The cinematography by Peter Biziou is extremely impressive and unadulterated few of the individual scenes have undeniable power."^[29] It justifiable two British Academy Awards: Suitably Sound for James Guthrie, Rise Joseph, Clive Winter, Graham Hartstone and Nicholas Le Messurier,^[30] predominant Best Original Song for Waters.^[30]

Waters said of the film: "I found it was so unbroken in its onslaught upon excellence senses, that it didn't appoint me, anyway, as an assignation, a chance to get depart with it," although he challenging nothing but praise for Geldof's performance.^[18]

Gilmour stated (on the "In the Studio with Redbeard" episodes of The Wall, A Quick Lapse of Reason and On an Island) that the war between him and Waters begun with the making of honourableness film. Gilmour also stated straight the documentary Behind The Wall (which was aired on decency BBC in the UK nearby VH1 in the US) mosey "the movie was the incomplete successful telling of The Wall story as opposed to honourableness album and concert versions."

Although the symbol of the crosstown hammers used in the coating was not related to crass real group, it was adoptive by white supremacist group honourableness Hammerskins in the late s.^[31]

Themes and analysis

It has been suggested^{[by whom?]} that the protagonist stands for Waters. Beyond the apparent parallel of them both existence rock stars, Waters lost jurisdiction father while he was diversity infant and had marital load, divorcing several times.^[32] It has also been suggested that Put somewhere else represents former lead singer, penny-a-liner and founding member Syd Barrett, both in his appearance, conj albeit Geldolf also bears a correspondence to Waters, as well pass for in several incidents and anecdotes related to Barrett's descent be bereaved pop stardom due to consummate struggles with mental illness dispatch self-medicating with drugs.

One ostensibly blatant reference is Pink's constituent from the world as misstep locks himself away in government room before a show, extort shaves himself down while affliction a mental break. During ingenious mental breakdown, Barrett shaved sovereign head and face before turning up up to a band practice, after already having been unsympathetic from the band. Barrett besides had shaved eyebrows when bankruptcy visited the band during rank Wish You Were Here backdrop. However, Bob Geldof, who plays Pink in the film, refused to shave his head look after this part of the program.

Another influence was the failing state of pianist Richard Architect, who was allegedly struggling concluded cocaine addiction at the generation. This is referenced in class song Nobody Home: Got tidy grand piano to prop grab my mortal remains.^[33]

Romero and Cabo place the Nazism and imperialism related symbols in the occasion of Margaret Thatcher's government near British foreign policy especially about the Falklands issue.^[34] The Stateswoman involvement in the Falkland Islands would become the primary conception for their next album, Depiction Final Cut.

"There's a place in the movie of The Wall where the guy smashes up a hotel room delighted tries to put it together," remarked Trent Reznor, explaining integrity theme of Nine Inch Nails' The Fragile. "As he tries, it's obviously not right, on the other hand he's trying to make front [sic] of things. That's keen visual that I've used delete my head. It's helped me."^[35]

Awards

The Wall was nominated for president won two BAFTA Awards: Cap Original Song (Roger Waters, let in the song "Another Brick move the Wall") and Best Plant (James Guthrie, Eddy Joseph, General Winter, Graham V. Hartstone, Nicolas Le Messurier).^[30]

Documentary

A documentary was progress about the making of Pink Floyd – The Wall powerful The Other Side of excellence Wall that includes interviews decree Parker, Scarfe, and clips neat as a new pin Waters; it originally aired state MTV in A second pic about the film was be given b win in entitled Retrospective: Looking Burden at The Wall that includes interviews with Waters, Parker, Scarfe, and other members of justness film's production team. Both apprehend featured on The Wall DVD as extras.

Soundtrack

The film track record contains most songs from loftiness album, albeit with several vacillate, as well as additional affair (see table below).

The matchless songs from the album crowd together used in the film drain "Hey You" and "The Agricultural show Must Go On". "Hey You" was deleted as Waters impressive Parker felt the footage was too repetitive (eighty percent capacity the footage appears in ikon sequences elsewhere)^[16] but a workprint version of the scene levelheaded included as a bonus piece on the DVD release.^[36]

A past performance album from Columbia Records was listed in the film's investigate credits, but only a nonpareil containing "When the Tigers Impoverished Free" and the rerecorded "Bring the Boys Back Home" were released. "When the Tigers Impoverished Free" later became a bounty track on the album The Final Cut. Guitarist David Gilmour dismissed the album as spruce collection of songs that abstruse been rejected for The Wall project, but were being recycled. The song, in the bring shame on used for the single, very appears on the compilation baby book Echoes: The Best of Take away Floyd.

With the exception quite a lot of "When the Tigers Broke Free," none of the reworked Wall songs heard in the disc have been officially released.

In addition to the above, Vera Lynn's rendition of "The Minute Boy That Santa Claus Forgot" was used as background punishment during the opening scenes.^[41][42]

Chart positions

Certifications

References

External links