This is a movie for everyone, or at least that's what I always thought. This was the movie everyone watched in High School. Everyone was the world's biggest Pink Floyd fan (almost twenty years too late) and watching this movie was a rite of passage into being a part of the "cool" crowd.

College was the same. Everyone piled into my tiny dorm room. Thank god it was a single! I'd pop the movie in, and most of us old timers would watch and be re-amazed. We'd have to explain a lot to the virgins who had never seen the movie before.

If you are one of those virgins, I really need to explain something about this movie: it is disturbing. In fact, it is a movie about a man with a disturbed mind. Bob Geldoff (of "I Don't Like Mondays" fame) plays Pink, a man who becomes a famous rock-star. He has legions of fans and everything you could ever want. Oh, and he has hallucinations.

The story is mostly told through the music of the Pink Floyd album The Wall. There is little dialogue, and Geldoff’s acting skills, powerful visual images, and the soundtrack carries the movie.

You see Pink's success. You see Pink's isolation. You see Pink's hallucinations. You see Pink lose control. All the while, you are amazed by the cinematography and the feel of the movie. You will be overwhelmed by the aesthetics of almost every shot. I feel like this movie was constructed by someone with the eye of Picasso. Someone who is able to see reality, although someone distorted.

In my world, this movie is a staple for every kid to grow up with. In fact, if you hadn't seen the movie, you would be considered a freak.

Apparently, everyone didn't grow up in my world. I was shocked when I heard that my boyfriend hadn't watched this movie before. I brought it over for him to watch. He watched about the first twenty minutes asking, "when does it get good?" and "where is the dialogue?" He is a very bright man, but I think this movie was a bit too artistic for him. He told me "my boys would be real angry if they knew I blew them off to watch this lame-assed movie with you." I guess he wasn't impressed.

This movie takes a lot of attention to watch. Sequences are out of order, like in Pulp Fiction. There are pieces of the past and present, as well as hallucinations which all need to be pieced together for the movie to make sense. A lot of this movie is symbolic and very artsy. You need to be in your right mind when watching it to make sense of all that is going on.

A lot of people associate this movie with getting high and chilling out. This is a mistake, especially if you are watching it for the first time. You will never be able to piece together what is going on if you are stoned the first time that you watch it. It is such a good movie; it stands on its own. You don't "need to be" anything to enjoy this movie -- just willing to give over your senses and your mind to a man who is going insane.


Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: VHS
Video Occasion: Good for a Rainy Day
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 13 and Older
Special Effects: Well at least you can't see the strings