Rating: 
Summary: gem from the past
Review: Excellent dvd transfer and restoration. Again I enjoy this music after forgetting how much I had originally revelled in it. Neil Young with "Four Strong Winds" and Emmylou Harris with "Evangeline" are delightful examples of the diversity of artists performing with The Band in this concert. Also, not to be omitted is Muddy Waters' "Mannish Boy." Aficionados are encouraged to get the exhaustive 4-cd box set of this concert.
Rating:
Summary: Great Restoration of a Great Film
Review: The Band was one of the greatest acts of their era. Wonderful vocals, unique song writing, great and varied instrumentation... they had it all. This DVD captures their musical talent and stage presence at their best. Add to it a cast of supporting musicians from Neil Young to Muddy Waters to Eric Clapton to Van Morrison and get Martin Scorsese (the best director of his generation) to film the concert and you have the best music movie of the past 40 years. The sountrack is very clean and the video lovingly restored. If you buy only one DVD of a concert from this era, this is the one to have.
Rating:
Summary: The Best Just Got Better!!
Review: The greatest concert movie of all time is now the greatest concert DVD of all time! The concert itself is epic...The Band playing their farewell concert on Thanksgiving 1976 with a few friends to help them out. Dylan, Clapton, Van Morrison, Muddy Waters, Neil Diamond, Neil Young, and many more turn out to help The Band pay tribute to the musical styles that influenced them. You won't be able to take your eyes off this movie...every artist gives the performance of a lifetime! The DVD also contains some fascinating extras...there are 2 audio commentaries featuring Robbie Robertson, Martin Scorsese, and various artists and crew members that were a part of the Last Waltz. Unlike most commentaries, the ones on this disc are very enjoyable, providing many interesting stories about the concert, the artists, and the intense planning that went into the making of the film. Also included are 2 trailers, a photo gallery, unreleased footage, and a "making of" documentary, all of which are just icing on the cake! Anyone with an interest in popular American music needs this DVD in their collection!
Rating:
Summary: One of the best
Review: I can't say many more positive things from what has already been said in other reviews. I will comment that the film transfer and sound revisions of this new DVD are reference class. The more I watch this movie - the more I realize how good Martin is. The way this was put together was brilliant. One of my favorite parts is where Joni does her thing singing Coyote. What an incredible professional and talent. They just don't make them like her anymore. It's amazing, but watching these guys in interviews makes you think you were more likely to meet them at a truck stop. To think that heart-felt music like this can come from such ordinary guys blows my mind. These guys write and sing from the heart - something that most modern music today really lacks. (Not to mention what great musicians they were) This film gets better with age. You can't watch this DVD without being moved. Martin is right - this DVD needs to have the volume turned up to really appreciate! Outstanding!
Rating:
Summary: Ladies and Gentlemen...
Review: Not only a contemporary classic, but a true musical masterwork! It is rare to see passion so aptly captured on film, but any true fan of music will be able to appreciate this emotional and provocative opus. For the first time in two decades, you will be delighted by The Last Waltz. Prepare to celebrate!
Rating:
Summary: ONE WORD - AWESOME
Review: This film's music has had a lasting effect on me from when I first saw it with my father at the movie theater as a young teenager, through the time I could not wait to get back to the states from my summer vacation to listen to the LP again, to this day as I order the DVD. A few highlights; 1. Rick Danko's soulful and honest singing of "It Makes No Difference", "Stagefright" and many others. God bless his soul. 2. Levon Helm's "americana personified" singing on "The Night They Drove Ole Dixie Down" and his perfect drumming. 3. Dylan's God-like presence and powerful performance. 4. Vann Morrison's deep and electrifying performance that raised the hair on my arms. 5. Neil Young's sincerity with a haunting behind the scenes Joni Mitchell singing "Helpless, Helpless". 6. Clapton showing his usual class by letting Robbie outduel him in their guitar solos. 7. Robbie Robertson's guitar on Van's song "Caravan" and many others. 8. Garth Hudson's unique keyboards and Richard Manuel's spirited piano and singing. [Forget] the imperfections, this is a musical masterpiece, showcasing many of the greatest musical talents of the last 40 years. The Band are simply one of the greats of all time. John X. Condos
Rating: 
Summary: I think the in-fighting makes this a better movie....
Review: ... if you know the players and their stories. The first time I saw "The Last Waltz," I thought Robbie Robertson was the coolest guy in the world. In the film, he looks like Mick Jagger with perfected facial proportions and he's got a hipster's smooth, mesmerizing speaking voice and a world weary suggestion to his movements and I just fell for him. But I didn't know much about The Band, then. I taped "The Last Waltz" off A&E in, like, 1987 because I was newly high on "Taxi Driver," "Raging Bull" and the then recent "After Hours." "Last Waltz" was a Scorsese film I hadn't seen before and I watched it so many times that, even though I now have a non-cable copy, I still expect the commercial breaks to pop up between songs. After my first viewing, I became a Band devotee, I read everything about them that I could, watched every documentary. Knowledge of the inner politics of The Band changed how I viewed the film and, for a time, I would've vehemently agreed with the camp that says that Robbie Robertson is pulling a Paul McCartney and that he arranged the whole event and centered himself directly in the middle of it. However... in many ways, that makes this film a more honest portrait of a legendary group and I don't think it makes "The Last Waltz" any less important. MOST bands have a powerful, charismatic figure in the middle trying to call the shots and the groups that don't have one of those types usually don't make it out of the small time. In fact, I'd be willing to say that the conflicts beneath the surface make for a more interesting document about the last official concert of one of the greatest rock groups ever. Plus, there are bottom lines within "The Last Waltz" and those lines are: Robbie Robertson is an incredibly talented guy, Levon Helm is an incredibly talented guy, Garth Hudson and Richard Manuel are probably THE MOST talented of the bunch (and yet they probably say the least) and, lastly, the whole show itself wouldn't be half as much fun without the voice, the music and the personality of Rick Danko, who's none too shabby himself in terms of talent. I'm sorry "The Last Waltz" was the beginning of a rift for the group, even more sorry that rift never healed up. But the most important aspect of any concert film is, of course, the music. And the music here is great. It's also filmed by a master, Martin Scorsese, who happens to be in love with the music, too, and you can tell that. The whole thing really gives me a feeling of a moment in time and a group of musicians completely preserved. Everything else (the politics, the personalities, the unspoken conflicts) is just a side dish. The entre itself is excellent.
Rating: 
Summary: Pretty Good Music, But [unreal]
Review: Robbie Robertson got this move made to glorify his own massive ego. As you can see from the footage, he interrupted almost every time another member of The Band had something to say -- God forbid someone else should take the spotlight away from him. The rest of The Band look pretty miserable during the proceedings, as they knew the whole thing was a disgraceful and [unreal] sham.
This was NOT a major concert event, although the movie would have you believe it was history in the making. The Band had been on a downward spiral for years and Robertson's contention that they had had enough of the road is laughable; they weren't playing many gigs at this point, not like the old days anyway when they were criss-crossing North America on a series of one-night stands.
As for the music, it's pretty fair. But the only truly great performance is Van Morrison's. He blew everyone off the stage that night.
Rating:
Summary: One For The Road
Review: I saw this movie in the fall of 1978. I had been out of the country for two years, on assignment as a Peace Corps volunteer and had heard little American music in that time. So when "The Last Waltz" came to a cinema in the capitol city, I was the first in the door. I delayed my trip back to my site for three days, and was at the cinema for every showing. Because I had been away from America so long, hearing this music again was a great pleasure. Knowing that this particular music had been silent for almost two years was unbearably poignant. In 1978 Honduras, the events two years earlier at Winterland seemed already the stuff of legend. Watching this video almost 25 years later still gives me those feelings of pleasure and nostalgia. It perfectly captures a moment in time when American rock music was at its peak. The performances here are nothing short of magical: Van Morrison leaping for joy at the end of "Caravan", Joni Mitchell's enigmatic half-smile in "Coyote", Robbie Robertson seamlessly filling in for Eric Clapton (and Clapton's subsequent seamless recovery) during an on-stage mishap. Michael McCune's recital, in perfect Middle-English, of the openng lines of "Canturbury Tales" was a brilliant touch, serving to put the entire concert into the realm of timeless myth. The music world in the late sixties and early seventies wan't all happy. It could be hard, ugly and contentious, but none of that is apparent in this film. This was one time when all the big talents played well together for one night, where feuds and differences were forgiven, and where the true guiding spirit of the times (dare I say it?? peace and love?) again reigned supreme, if only for one shining moment. Call me an old fogey, but that music was good. My lasting gratitude goes to Robertson and Scorsese for getting it down on film. Yeah, the caravan is on its way, you can hear the merry gypsies play...
Rating:
Summary: Last concert for The Band???
Review: First of all The Band is one of my all time favorite rock groups ever. I went and saw the re-release of the film here in Austin for the South By Southwest music and film Festival (2002), the sound was AWESOME and the film was re done very well. But I have to vent somewhat here, this was NOT the last concert by The Band, this was the last concert with Robbie Robertson, The Band went on to tour for many years without him...if you are a fan of The Band I URGE you to read this book, it's called "Wheels on Fire". In the book he mentions how the rest of the members didn't want to quit, nor did they want to perform this "last concert", but Robbie threatened legal action if they didn't. The rest of the group was at a loss as to why Neil Diamond would be performing with them. The reason the "The Weight" and the song with Emmy Lou Harris are fimed in a studio and not in concert is because the camera crew was so high on coke, they didn't notice that he film had run out!!! Nice work Martin, this is a great concert film, maybe not the best(Gimmie Shelter) but I still like it as I LOVE The Band. The film is a must to have on DVD, but I just feel that the public should know some of the details about the film. When I saw the film at the re-release Robbie Robertson introduced the film but refused to do a Q and A as most people do at the film fest, I was dissapointed as I had a few questions to ask.
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