Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #5617 in DVD
• Released on: 2000-02-07
• Rating: Suitable for 15 years and over
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Formats: PAL, Widescreen
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: English, Spanish, French
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 80 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
By any rational measure, Alan Parker's cinematic interpretation of Pink Floyd's The Wall is a glorious failure. Glorious because its imagery is hypnotically striking, frequently resonant and superbly photographed by the gifted cinematographer Peter Biziou. And a failure because the entire exercise is hopelessly dour, loyal to the bleak themes and psychological torment of Roger Waters' great musical opus, and yet utterly devoid of the humour that Waters certainly found in his own material. Any attempt to visualise The Wall would be fraught with artistic danger, and Parker succumbs to his own self-importance, creating a film that's as fascinating as it is flawed. The film is, for better and worse, the fruit of three artists in conflict--Parker indulging himself, and Waters in league with designer Gerald Scarfe, whose brilliant animated sequences suggest that he should have directed and animated this film in its entirety. Fortunately, this clash of talent and ego does not prevent The Wall from being a mesmerising film. Boomtown Rats frontman Bob Geldof (in his screen debut) is a fine choice to play Waters's alter ego--an alienated, "comfortably numb" rock star whose psychosis manifests itself as an emotional (and symbolically physical) wall between himself and the cold, cruel world. Weaving Waters's autobiographical details into his own jumbled vision, Parker ultimately fails to combine a narrative thread with experimental structure. It's a rich, bizarre, and often astonishing film that will continue to draw a following, but the real source of genius remains the music of Roger Waters. --Jeff Shannon

Video Description
DVD Special Features

Previosly unreleased film footage
Remastered 5.1 Dolby Digital and Surround Encoded PCM Stereo Soundtracks from the original mastertapes
New Hi Definition film transfer from the original widescreen interpositive
THE OTHER SIDE OF THE WALL -
A 25 minute documentary about the making of the film
Running comentary from Roger Waters, Gerald Scarfe, Alan Parker, Peter Biziou, Alan Marshall and James Guthrie.
Original film trailer and production stills
Subtitles, scene/song selection, and secret buttons
Technical Sound System Set Up Guide

Synopsis
Loosely based on the life story of Syd Barrett, Pink Floyd's original front man (who was kicked out of the band for his bizarre and disturbing behavior only to go insane shortly thereafter), PINK FLOYD: THE WALL stars Bob Geldof as Pink, a mentally damaged man who has gone from a hopeful child artist to a burned-out rock star drifting away from reality. As Pink festers in his hotel room, elements of his abusive childhood come back to haunt him until he begins to descend into absolute madness.
Director Alan Parker's intense and fully realized film interpretation of the English band's classic album, THE WALL melds whimsical fantasy with dark Shakespearean drama. The film makes innovative use of sets, costumes, and special effects to create a unique surrealistic strangeness worthy of Luis Bunuel and Salvador Dali's UN CHIEN ANDALOU. Both disturbing and bedazzling, PINK FLOYD: THE WALL is a must-see film for any music lover.

Customer Reviews

Absolutely transformed on DVD!
This DVD is absolutely superb - well deserving the five stars. They've taken a fuzzy, muffled, pan and scan, 20 year old film and just completely transformed it. The picture is razor sharp, and in Widescreen for the first time ever. The all important sound - the main device for progressing the narrative, has been converted into Dolby Digital 5.1 using the original mastertapes. Hooked up through a hi-fi or through a surround sound system it just blows you away.

It's just how The Wall was meant to be watched - but the technology didn't exist to do it justice. But with the advent of home cinema systems this DVD just brings the film to life.

What tops it all off for me are the special features included on the disc - which are so numerous it puts other DVD's to shame. Documentaries, music videos, unreleased footage of the film, interviews, trailers, sound set-up sections - it's got it all.

If you've got The Wall on video and can't see the point in upgrading - ignore those voices and buy this DVD! The transformation from VHS to DVD really is amazing.

The Wall - A definate buy
This is the one DVD that everyone must own.It's a story told by the music of Pink Flyd. The music is in Surround Encoded PCM Stereo or Remastered 5.1 Dolby Digital. The DVD also includes The other side of the wall - a 25 min documentary about the making of the film and Retrospective a 45 min documentary with interviews by the Artists. This complete package will satisfy the cult following of this movie

Utterly enthralling
The Wall is a masterpiece that compliments the album immensely regardless of what skeptics may say. The music is true to the Pink Floyd fashion and is in my opinion the best they ever made. The music in the film varies from soft acoustic rock like Mother to all out Rock 'n' Roll pieces like Young Lust. In my opinion you couldn't possibly go wrong with The Wall, cracking film