I have heard a few songs by The Band, but I am certainly not a fan, so it would seem that "The Last Waltz" would be a hard-sell to me but it was not. First, I found I enjoyed most of the music throughout the film--especially since I like rock 'n blues (and there is a strong blues/rock as well as country rhythm to the songs). How can you complain when you get to hear the likes of Muddy Waters, Dr. John, Eric Clapton and many, many others performing with The Band. Second, and much more importantly, I was very, very impressed with the quality of the film work. This was NOT a typical concert film where they simply stick up a camera and record the performances. To know more about this, watch the DVD extra for "The Last Waltz"--"Revisiting The Last Waltz". In this documentary, Robbie Robertson (from The Band) and Martin Scorsese talk about how they made the film--and it was really impressive. Instead of just stationing guys with cameras, EVERYTHING was meticulously planned and the camera angles and techniques show it. In addition to the live concert footage (which is the best I've seen), you have a few numbers that were done very well in the studio as well as interesting interviews. All in all, it's the total package--a very impressive and exceptionally well made film. While the music might not be to your liking, you can't help but admire excellent film making.

Back in the late Sixties/early Seventies, a friend of mine introduced me to a disparate range of musical performers, stuff I would never have discovered on my own, but he persisted in having me borrow his albums and I came to appreciate various artists and styles. Stuff like Ten Years After, Canned Heat, King Crimson, Muddy Waters and the list goes on. One of them was The Band, a group I immediately took a liking to with their albums Music From Big Pink, The Band and Stage Fright."The Last Waltz" chronicles The Band's final concert appearance at San Francisco's Winterland Theater on Thanksgiving Day, 1976. There's probably no better venue for assembling some of the best musicians in the world in one place at one time, and music fans who weren't even born yet will appreciate the performances here from the likes of Ronnie Hawkins, Joni Mitchell, Paul Butterfield, and Bob Dylan. My favorite number was probably Neil Young joining The Band with a soulful rendition of 'Helpless', while Muddy Waters kicks out those blues jams with 'Ain't That a Man'. One of the surprising numbers comes from someone you wouldn't expect to see here, with Neil Diamond offering up a passionate version of 'Dry Your Eyes'.Intersperesed with quickie interview segments, the film captures the emotional exhaustion of The Band's members as they come up on sixteen years of musical touring. I guess for them it was time to move on, even though a group like the Stones has more than doubled that tenure since this film came out. 1976, it seems so long ago.As I write this, Levon Helm passed on a couple of months ago. Watching him as a vibrant and energized performer in this documentary was in sharp contrast to a concert appearance I saw him in just last year performing with his own band. On that night he didn't even sing because he was recuperating from an illness. It's sad to see these legends pass on, but having these moments captured on film and recordings allow us to relive their glory days any time we like. If you haven't seen "The Last Waltz" yet, it's time that you do. If you have, watch it again.

It's hard to imagine a better film about music after watching this. There's so much love from all involved of the sounds people create when getting together and making harmony happen with voices and/or instruments. The director Martin Scorsese, The Band themselves, their special guests and the crowd, apparently not one of whom left the venue before the final encore (ironically, the first song in the film).So many great talents are on display here, this movie could have been nine hours and I wouldn't have left the theatre at all (except for a quick bathroom break). The commentaries, both of them, are worth hearing, especially as you watch the movie. The years since this concert just add to the overall appreciation one should have for everybody that took part in this amazing event."The Last Waltz" is kind of like the "Raging Bull" of concert films. The only thing that could really stop The Band were themselves. Playing for so many years without a break must take a toll on anyone. But the state of mind they were in by 1976 makes me wonder if Jake La Motta felt the same way about boxing at the end of his run as the only fighter who couldn't be knocked down.

I first saw this film on its original theatrical release in Dallas, TX, 1978. Now watching it for the umpeenth time now, 2007, in Philadelphia, PA and this is one of those "timeless classics" that never gets old. The artists far outweigh any of the new talent coming into play currently. Please do not misunderstand me, I am a huge fan of Pearl Jam, Stone Temple Pilots, etc., but, I think that Clapton, The Band, Dylan, EmmyLou Harris, Joni Mitchell, et al, are the essence of music. Perhaps because I grew up with them, As I sit here on my sofa listening to Dylan, it brings back memories of numerous concerts, etc, that just cn't be relived nowadays. I find this film a true trip into the past of fond memories and classic music. This film will remain forever a classic history of Rock and Roll legends and should not be missed.