I'll tell you why so serious

A lot of perfectly good film show their cards early, establish a unique premise and let the audience explore a topic at a leisurely pace, without much in terms of surprise. this film is not one of those films.

Strong acting helps the film overcome an uncertain premise and create characters that hold our attention absolutely.

Blistering performances.

I won't drag this on long; too many other people have summed it up with sufficient style and meaning for it to require another lengthy contribution. What I will say is that it's the little moments Scorcese captures that make this film for me; Robertson and Danko coming in too early on 'Helpless' much to the amusement of a coked-out-his-mind Neil Young; the little kiss Robbie gets from Joni as she comes onstage; the wide smile of Danko, watching from his drums as Hawkins does a masterful vocal turn on 'Who Do You Love'; the pathos of the second to last scene, talking about those those who the road has taken.Another stand out feature of this film is how great everyone looks. The drugs slim the band down, Robertson especially, and that emphasizes their features, magnifies emotion. The clothes are simple but fantastic; Dylan looks like the coolest man alive, Ronnie Wood's flamboyant jacket fits like a glove etc, the 70s were great for a lot of fashion and it shows here. Only Van Morrison, fat, drunk and balding in a tatty outfit is immune to the forgiving and flattering camera-work.Other than that everything people says about this is true; the music is amazing, its beautifully shot, the interludes are cool, it evokes the period, it has sadness and euphoria, its paced perfectly. One of the best films of all time.

Back in the late Sixties/early Seventies, a friend of mine introduced me to a disparate range of musical performers, stuff I would never have discovered on my own, but he persisted in having me borrow his albums and I came to appreciate various artists and styles. Stuff like Ten Years After, Canned Heat, King Crimson, Muddy Waters and the list goes on. One of them was The Band, a group I immediately took a liking to with their albums Music From Big Pink, The Band and Stage Fright."The Last Waltz" chronicles The Band's final concert appearance at San Francisco's Winterland Theater on Thanksgiving Day, 1976. There's probably no better venue for assembling some of the best musicians in the world in one place at one time, and music fans who weren't even born yet will appreciate the performances here from the likes of Ronnie Hawkins, Joni Mitchell, Paul Butterfield, and Bob Dylan. My favorite number was probably Neil Young joining The Band with a soulful rendition of 'Helpless', while Muddy Waters kicks out those blues jams with 'Ain't That a Man'. One of the surprising numbers comes from someone you wouldn't expect to see here, with Neil Diamond offering up a passionate version of 'Dry Your Eyes'.Intersperesed with quickie interview segments, the film captures the emotional exhaustion of The Band's members as they come up on sixteen years of musical touring. I guess for them it was time to move on, even though a group like the Stones has more than doubled that tenure since this film came out. 1976, it seems so long ago.As I write this, Levon Helm passed on a couple of months ago. Watching him as a vibrant and energized performer in this documentary was in sharp contrast to a concert appearance I saw him in just last year performing with his own band. On that night he didn't even sing because he was recuperating from an illness. It's sad to see these legends pass on, but having these moments captured on film and recordings allow us to relive their glory days any time we like. If you haven't seen "The Last Waltz" yet, it's time that you do. If you have, watch it again.

As long as The Band and it's highly talented roster of guest stars are on stage The Last Waltz soars. Director Martin Scorsese's preparation for this one take only scene opportunity of the concert portion has cameras in the right place as well as a crystal clear audio track to capture many performers at the top of their game on a chandelier draped stage bathed in the same lush colorful light found on the damp New York streets of Taxi Driver.One by one rock stars from the previous decade and beyond take the stage and belt out a tune. Bob Dylan, Neal Young, Van Morrison, Eric Clapton even Neil Diamond and especially Dr. John doing "Such a Night" have bring down the house numbers. The night's outstanding performers are The Band itself. A group of five multi talented musicians whose passion for the art form put commercial success on the back burner in favor of just making music they electrify the stage with driving renditions of "Cripple Creek" "Mystery Train" and others. Drummer Levon Helm's powerful vocals are the group's high point despite attempts by lead guitarist Robbie Robertson to upstage. Robertson foolishly attempts to take on Eric Clapton in a battle of axes who in a calm, cool respectful manner vanquishes Robbie's swaggering.Offstage the members fail to ignite with Scorsese's interviewing skills scattered and reverential. The boys are mostly shy (in the case of Rick Danko, high) and modest about their accomplishments with the exception of poser Robertson who has plenty of nothing to say to fan Scorsese.There are two beautifully performed non-concert pieces featuring The Staples and Emmy Lou Harris adding to the musical feast that not only provides superior musical entertainment but also serves as a valuable timepiece to the end of an era. The dark age of Disco was about to begin.

I first saw this film on its original theatrical release in Dallas, TX, 1978. Now watching it for the umpeenth time now, 2007, in Philadelphia, PA and this is one of those "timeless classics" that never gets old. The artists far outweigh any of the new talent coming into play currently. Please do not misunderstand me, I am a huge fan of Pearl Jam, Stone Temple Pilots, etc., but, I think that Clapton, The Band, Dylan, EmmyLou Harris, Joni Mitchell, et al, are the essence of music. Perhaps because I grew up with them, As I sit here on my sofa listening to Dylan, it brings back memories of numerous concerts, etc, that just cn't be relived nowadays. I find this film a true trip into the past of fond memories and classic music. This film will remain forever a classic history of Rock and Roll legends and should not be missed.