U2’s concert movie is heralded the first ever live-action digital 3-D film. Is this novelty enough to make it worth seeing?
IMO – the answer is no.
The publicity will tell you different, assuring you that it is a unique visual experience and that you feel part of a show like never before. The implication being that when Bono reaches out you will feel you could literally give him a hand in saving the planet.
The problem of choosing U2 as the subject is that, aside from the razzamatazz of their Zoo Tv shows, they have never been a particularly theatrical band. Their reputation is built on being four ordinary guys from Ireland who play straightforward rock and roll from the heart. As their career has progressed they have become increasingly outspoken on human rights issues but ,to their credit, they have steered clear of gimmicks.
I can imagine a band like Talking Heads at their peak would have made more of an effort to exploit the possibilities of 3D than U2 have. There’s nothing in this movie to suggest that U2 adapted their performance in any way to utilise the new technology. Take away all the massive LED curtains and elaborate lighting and this is essentially a show you could see them performing in a small Dublin club.
Bono’s costume changes consist of changing his jacket, donning a rather stupid looking head band and wearing a cap for the first encore (The Fly) which makes him look a little like a bus conductor. As for The Edge, well, not even his wife has ever seen him without his woolly hat.
The movie consolidates the band’s appeal by keeping things simple and displays their enduring ability to write tunes that get massive crowds beating their fists in the air, crying things like whoaoooohohoooh in unison and feeding the illusion that they have the power to change the world. Predictably, of the 14 songs featured, those that drive the audience wildest are old favourites like Sunday Bloody Sunday, Where The Streets Have No Name and One.
This show was filmed on the band’s Vertigo Tour in Buenos Aires in 2006. The spectacle as a movie experience lies in marvelling at the sheer scale of this show rather than the music itself.
Larry Mullen Jr’s drum kit looks fantastic in 3D but the real stars of the movie are the fans, watching the huge sea of ecstatic bodies and faces is amazing.
