The Last Waltz is considered to be one of the greatest concert films in history and now joins the Criterion Collection in 4K Ultra HD.
At the time of its Thanksgiving 1976 filming, the concert was advertised as their farewell. The quintet consisted of Rick Danko, Levon Helm, Garth Hudson, Richard Manuel, and Robbie Robertson. They would stay together through their breakup in 1977. Robertson did not join when the group reunited in 1983. This film truly shows the group at the height of their career before the breakup and subsequent personnel changes.
Oscar-winning filmmaker Martin Scorsese both supervised and approved the new 4K restoration. Meanwhile, The Band’s Robbie Robertson supervised and approved the new soundtrack.
In addition to 4K Ultra HD, the film will also be available on Blu-ray.
Synopsis
More than just one of the greatest concert films ever made, The Last Waltz is an at once ecstatic and elegiac summation of a vital era in American rock music. Invited to document the farewell performance of the legendary group the Band at San Francisco’s Winterland Ballroom on Thanksgiving, 1976, Martin Scorsese conceived a new kind of music documentary. Enlisting seven camera operators (including renowned cinematographers Vilmos Zsigmond, László Kovács, and Michael Chapman) and art director Boris Leven to design the strikingly theatrical sets, Scorsese created a grandly immersive experience that brings viewers onstage and inside the music itself. That music—as performed by the Band and a host of other generation-defining artists, including Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Van Morrison, the Staple Singers, Muddy Waters, and Neil Young—lives on as an almost religious expression of the transcendent possibilities of rock and roll.
Bonus Features
- New 4K digital restoration, supervised and approved by director Martin Scorsese, with 5.1 surround DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack supervised and approved by musician Robbie Robertson
- In the 4K UHD edition: One 4K UHD disc of the film presented in Dolby Vision HDR and one Blu-ray with the film and special features
- Two alternate soundtracks: the original 1978 2.0 surround mix, presented in DTS-HD Master Audio, and an uncompressed stereo mix from 2001
- Two audio commentaries, featuring Scorsese; members of the Band; members of the production crew; and performers Dr. John, Ronnie Hawkins, and Mavis Staples
- New interview with Scorsese, conducted by critic David Fear
- Documentary from 2002 about the making of the film
- Outtake
- Interview from 1978 with Scorsese and Robertson
- Trailer and TV spot
- English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
- PLUS: An essay by critic Amanda Petrusich
DIRECTOR: Martin Scorsese
STARRING: Rick Danko, Levon Helm, Garth Hudson, Richard Manuel, Robbie Robertson
FEATURING: Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton, Neil Young, Joni MItchell, Van Morrison, Neil Diamond, Emmylou Harris, Muddy Waters, The Staples, Ringo Starr, Ron Wood, Dr. John, Paul Butterfield, Ronnie Hawkins
MGM released The Last Waltz in theaters on April 26, 1978. The film is now available on 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray through The Criterion Collection.
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