I'm not the biggest Pink Floyd band (they're in my top 10, but not top 5) nor am I a huge fan of The Wall (it is not in my top 20 albums, nor is it my favorite Pink Floyd album, which is Animals) so my review is not biased by fandom.This is simply put an incredible musical. Many might argue "it's not a musical" but do musicals need to have dancing? Is dancing the definition of musicals?I'm not a fan of musicals because of dancing, but this film is not a musical without dancing. It's not Broadway and it's not show tunes. It is a rock musical, with a completely different kind of music. The songs are sadder, angrier, more depressed and the picture follows the music.Show tunes about love make for soapy and sappy films. Sad and angry songs result in a much darker picture.There are some things I don't like about this film. In the album Pink cheats on his wife, then she leaves him for someone else. This makes Pink the architect of his own misery. In the film, however, Pink first learns of his wife's unfaithfulness before he starts sleeping with groupies. This makes him a victim. But he's already a victim of many things - overprotective mother, school system, lack of father. We don't need another element for his victimhood. They could've used that to give us another side to Pink's personality rather than hammer in the idea of him being a victim.I also don't like some of the animation. Some of it is great, but the trial, particularly the judge, is a miss.The additional songs and re-recorded pieces are great. What Shall We Do Now? is one of my favorite Pink Floyd songs.I wish they would make more films like this, either entirely live action or animated.This is what musicals should be. 9/10.

PINK FLOYD THE WALL Finds itself among modern cinema's most culturally significant films.Based upon Pink Floyd's 1979 musical album of the same title, Pink Floyd The Wall chronicles the rise and fall of supposed Britishlead singer, and Live Aid coordinator, Sir Bob Geldof.Set in the cinematic duality of 'Seamless Realism' and 'Formalism,' the hand drawn work celebrates the caricature art of Gerald Scarfe, the renowned English political cartoonist and illustrator. The Wall uses both mediums to interweave Pink's neuroses, addictions, childhood abuse, fears and desires.rock-n-roller sex symbol "Pink," played to perfection by Boomtown RatsOnce the money-making potential of Pink becomes realized by the exploiters in his life, Pink ceased being human and became a cash cow. Parasites feeding upon his talent provided insight into the same fame monster which oft befalls entertainers.Pink finds acceptance of himself, a visage of empty and ill-spent young adulthood, through traditional escapism: alcohol, sex and narcotics. As Pink collapses inwardly, he realizes that in order to find himself he must confront fears and extricate himself from the addictions to which he's become "comfortably numb." The Wall is brilliant in its horrifying multiple realities, its complex music and its blending of various visual mediums. With Pink Floyd holding so many milestones throughout their 50+ year career, The Wall is oft regarded as the band's crowning achievement; a contribution to, and celebration of, themselves.So then, why is this movie still so culturally significant? Amongst art, film and music societies, The Wall is widely regarded as the last great, truly iconic hand-created animation "super film", akin to its 1960s Beatles-infused cousin, Yellow Submarine.As personal computer animation, stop-frame animation and Henson oriented puppets began saturating 1980s movies, The Wall officially ushered out handcrafted movie art, which stepped aside (or, more aptly, was pushed aside) for what became the CGI revolution.The Wall was a bridge between our cultural past and visionary glimpses of our supposed future. The Wall is an example of the powerful imagery and the moving beauty that hand-rendered artwork can (still) command...Yeah... Even in this 21st Century digital downloadable society.Technical nirvana is great and all but there really is something a wee bit satisfying about coming across a film that cannot -and will not ever- be replicated.And, oh, by the way... which one's Pink?

Pink Floyd's The Wall is already an overrated album with plenty of songs that are filler, some good songs have weak lyrics and some great lyrics use weak music just to convey the message. The film takes all that, keeping all the filler, and adding even weaker pieces like When the Tigers Broke Free 1 and 2.Some of the weaknesses of the Wall's story are amplified even more. The horrors of WWII are shown even though the boy had no way of knowing. It is presented as if the boy himself were a war veteran, suffering from a case of contagious PTSD, perhaps by touching his father's medals or uniform. The album alludes to the Luftwaffe's raids, but the film makes it seem as if it the boy experienced the war on the front line first hand, which is laughable.The film, with its completely new songs, reordered playlist and freedom to add scenes with no music, does not address the transformation of Pink from rock star to neo-fascist leader. It's just a hole in the plot that is left to our imagination. Fine for an audio album, not for a visual film.Some of the things look theatrical and comic - the headmaster in the tunnel looked like a clown, the neo-fascist rally's synchronized dancing was less "Triumph of the Will" and more Macarena.The animation goes from beautiful (Goodbye Blue Sky, Empty Spaces) to ridiculous - The Trial with a talking buttocks as presiding judge.A lot of mistakes were done. If I were Pink Floyd (or if I were Waters), just as the protagonist was a composite character, so should the album be a composite, not loyal to The Wall, but taking the best of Pink Floyd to make something larger than life. The song Money would've been a great piece, Pink as a rock star enjoying his riches, then the dissatisfaction with the political system, shown via Animals, would've made the transition from rock star to fascist leader a great one.It all boils down to this - did they want to make a great Pink Floyd-based, The Wall film or make a long music video for The Wall? It is not a binary issue, but a gradient, since they already changed the order of events, added new songs and reworked original songs, so this was not a pure "The Wall" film. My opinion is that they should've added things from their past, reworked if needed, to tell a better story, to make a better film rather than one truer to the album.Perhaps that's an idea for the remake.

Pink Floyd: The Wall (1982): Dir: Alan Parker / Cast: Bob Geldof, Christine Hargreaves, Jenny Wright, Eleanor David, Alex McAvoy: Compelling dark musical masterpiece exploiting the walls of isolation. The film exposes numerous factors that contribute to this wall. Bob Geldof plays a cynical rock star found overdosed on drugs in his trashed hotel room. Flashbacks indicate his lonely childhood, mockery at school, an overbearing mother, his failed marriage, and his father's death in the war. His rage takes full effect as a groupie hovers in a corner as he trashes the room and sends a TV crashing to the ground below. Pink Floyd's title track brings conviction as a classroom becomes a slaughterhouse to faceless students marching in matching uniforms. Tremendous direction by Alan Parker aided by Pink Floyd whose lyrics fuel the story. It is also highlighted with exquisite animated segments. Geldof is ideal and dead to the world as his mind conjures up images of death, destruction and a possible ray of hope in the final scene. Christine Hargreaves plays his mother who neglects him. Jenny Wright plays a groupie who gets more than she bargained for in her attempt to seduce. Eleanor David plays his wife who answers neglect with an affair. Alex McAvoy as the strict teacher who spews a famous quote from the film. Visual masterpiece about breaking through to sanity again. Score: 10 / 10