The Last Waltz Considered

by Steve Wheeler

The Last Waltz was a revolutionary documentary. It was the first concert movie shot in 35 mm, the record of a celebration of the Band's last concert on the site of their first show as The Band. It is the visual evidence that more than thirty years ago Robbie Robertson, Levon Helm, Rick Danko, Garth Hudson and Richard Manuel had the good sense to go out on top. There are many examples of actors, politicians, athletes and rock stars who didn't. The movie itself, I hour, 37 minutes, was directed by Martin Scorsese. No matter what you think of Hollywood, his credentials as a director are undisputed. His list of credits, accomplishments and awards means that Scorsese is a serious director, not one to waste energy.

At the time, 1976, a time when the underground half of the 60's generation was realizing that the other half was following in the footsteps of their parents, embracing the values that their governments, their elders and betters, praised and promoted, Scorsese was in the middle of directing NEW YORK, NEW YORK, a huge, expensive Hollywood project. Unbeknownst to the New York, New York producer who would have had a heart attack if he'd known, Marty (as he is referred to by almost everyone in the movie) took a weekend off, filmed the concert at the Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco, put together the rest of it in a week and filmed three more songs on a Hollywood sound stage a few months later. It was edited and released in 1978. The sets, lighting, photography, sound and all the myriad details that go into movie creation were taken care of by hook or by crook, often improvised by world renowned experts in their fields. The project took on a life of its own. It was not made for profit and grew into an important cultural event.

Before Scorsese made The Last Waltz, there was Woodstock (where he worked as an assistant director and editor and learned what not to do), Gimme Shelter, and an Elvis film, but no other single concert had been as carefully choreographed, as meticulously set and photographed as this. There were seven cameras shooting at times, each run by a professional and, in many cases, a world famous cinematographer. Bill Graham's lawyers forced Scorsese's assistant to negotiate each camera movement because he controlled the stage and insisted that nothing impair the sight lines of the live audience.

It is best to mention here that the DVD of The Last Waltz is available cheap at your local DVD purveyor. This one only cost ten Canadian dollars to buy, a great bargain for musicians, writers and anyone else interested in rock 'n roll and the making of movies. The "Special Features" additions on the DVD contain a lot of comical and serious comments by the movie makers, Mac Rebenak, Ronnie Hawkins, Mavis Staples and the band members which can be listened to as the movie plays. As each band member, song and guest performer appears, someone talks about them.

The story of The Band's creation and growth through sixteen years of living on the road unfolds through a series of interviews with band members interspersed among the songs, mostly answers to questions posed by Scorsese himself, questions provided by a professional screenwriter. Many of the answers are funny, some ironic, some poignant, but one feeling permeates the whole movie, a sort of good natured humour, an amused observation of the world at large and a sincere appreciation of the music.

The Band were aware that the odds of survival for such a long time in such a high risk lifestyle, were against them. Robbie Robertson says, at the end of the movie, "The road has taken some of the great ones" and "You can push your luck."

Three of the Band's songs were filmed on an MGM sound stage where Scorsese could control everything and was free to use a crane and a camera as in normal movies. The Weight, in which Pop and Mavis Staples sing verses and all four harmonize on the choruses with members of the band, Evangeline, which is filmed in stunning colour with Emmylou Harris doing an achingly sweet call and response with Levon, and The Last Waltz theme song which is a waltz written by Robertson who is playing a double necked acoustic guitar as he performs it with the Band, were all filmed on sets designed by Boris Leven, a friend of Scorcese and the production designer on The Sound of Music and New York, New York. It was Leven who was responsible for renting the San Francisco Opera's set for La Traviata and setting it up in the beat up, spruced up, old Winterland Ballroom for the concert. His original idea was to fill the place with chandeliers but they couldn't afford more than three.

It's fitting that while the rest of their generation was trying to deal with the post Vietnam world, the plan for The Last Waltz was hatching and growing between Robbie Robertson and Martin Scorsese in a couple of months of creativity and hard work. At first, there was no budget, just an idea. It was cobbled together by the seat of its pants, almost an afterthought. The Last Waltz began, in a way, underground, and became the standard by which all concert movies are measured.

When the concert was over, Scorsese and Robertson agreed that through all the craziness and frenetic activity, through the power of the music and the personalities, maybe, just maybe, they might have produced a gem.

The movie begins with Rick Danko telling Martin Scorsese that the game is "Cutthroat" and breaking the balls on a pool table. Then, in a way which makes sense only when you've watched the whole thing and listened to the commentary, The Band returns to the stage for an unplanned encore after the concert's over.

They play Don't Do It and Robbie Robertson's lead guitar places the viewer in a car travelling through a beat up neighbourhood of San Francisco to the Winterland Ballroom where crowds are lined up and the huge vertical sign above the entrance has half of its lights burnt out.

A young couple waltzes gracefully across the screen against the backdrop of The Last Waltz logo as the names of the guest performers appear: Dr John, Ronnie Hawkins, Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton, Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, Emmylou Harris, Muddy Waters, The Staples, Van Morrison, Neil Diamond, Paul Butterfield, Ringo Starr, Ronnie Wood.

In the first interview Marty asks Robbie if they're really "just friends" who showed up. Robbie tells him that no, the musical guests aren't just friends, they're probably the biggest influences in music to a whole generation.

Michael McClure, the poet, appears on stage in a spotlight where he recites a short piece of Canterbury Tales in olde English, smiles and walks off. Lawrence Ferlinghetti appears at the end of the show, just before Dylan, with a quick, cool poem. They are the connection to the Beats, their presence welcomed. Kerouac's spirit.

As Robbie says, it isn't about the audience so they don't appear except for a few reverse shots which Scorsese loved.

The concert itself is a mixture of Band originals beginning with Cripple Creek, interwoven with guests who play only one song each.

Dr John displays that New Orleans piano style, slow drawl and dazzling smile on What a Night.

Joni Mitchell's strumming and phrasing make the room feel like everything's in motion as she stands golden haired and innocent singing the naughty lyrics of Coyote.

The floor shakes to the beat of everyone stomping to Muddy's Mannish Boy.

In the Special Features section there is a hilarious commentary on Van Morrison's sequined outfit as he steals the show with his tour de force performance of Caravan and almost cracks a smile. He had lived in Woodstock when The Band lived there and was an old friend.

Scorsese manages to get Joni's profile in shadow when she sings an ethereal harmony to Neil Young's Helpless.

Garth Hudson's head is suddenly illuminated as he stands to play a sax, trading solos with Robbie's guitar in It Makes No Difference.

Clapton trades licks with Robertson on Further On Up The Road after his guitar strap comes undone and Robbie picks up the solo without missing a beat. Neil Diamond, a companion from their Tin Pan Alley days, sings a song looking like he's ready for Vegas.

Paul Butterfield pulls off an amazing physical feat when he plays along with Muddy.

Ronnie Hawkins, Muddy and Van the Man all exit the stage the same way, deliberately, with a flourish.

In the commentaries Ronnie Hawkins tells the story of each band member as he was brought into The Hawks, Ronnie's backup band which later became Dylan's backup band, then The Band. He says he hired Robbie Robertson, the kid, to be a roadie as a favour to the boy's mother. Robbie was hanging out with some guys who might end up in the penitentiary.

Richard Manuel, quiet and gentle, always reminding me of The Furry Freak Brother comics in the interviews, roars the lyrics to The Shape I'm In with a strong singing voice made for the blues and slow dancing, rough and smooth at the same time.

Levon Helm's performance vocally and on the drums is hypnotizing . The physical energy required to play and sing that long and that hard is clear in the movie.

Rick Danko's voice is "mournful and strange with off the wall harmonies" as Mac Rebenak put it. It is sweet and harsh with power and feeling.

Dylan (another funny commentary in the Special Features section) sings Forever Young and leads his former band into Baby, Let Me Follow You Down.

The finale, with everyone onstage, is Dylan's I Shall Be Released.

Robbie Robertson's guitar playing is unique. He can play like a lot of people but no one ever plays like him, no one's got his style , it's really unique.

Ringo and Ronnie Wood appear playing in an out take of a jam until, after 6 hours of filming, the cameras and people take a break.

There may be better bands at some things but only these musicians could have pulled this off. A concert which requires a backup band for a variety of performers can be accomplished technically, but the life which The Band injected into the songs, the huge variety of styles they had to adapt to, could only have been done by them. They were a perfect backup band as well as the stars of the show.

The sex is in the music. Understated and hinted at, never openly mentioned, the sex is in the music. In the interviews Scorsese asks about women on the road. The answers are, for the most part, as vague and euphemistic as the references to "fun" and other bad habits.

Garth Hudson states with certainty that the greatest priests on 52nd street in New York were the musicians. Songwriters were the low men and women on the totem pole but the street musicians were the greatest healers.

Thirty years after the movie was made, Martin Scorsese has done another concert film with The Rolling Stones called Shine a Light. Waiting to borrow my copy of The Last Waltz are a twenty year old drummer and a seventeen year old bass player. It means that Martin Scorsese and Robbie Robertson and everyone involved in the movie did produce a gem.

And it means that all is not lost.

About Steve Wheeler

Steve lives in Ottawa, Canada. You can read his published shorts at wheelerwrite.blogspot.com and myspace.com/wheelerwrite. His novel, Tourists, is available at smashwords.com, where it can be downloaded for free.