The Film of the 80's

http://pink-floyd.org/artint/111.htm

What a film! The Pink Floyd band released their first film based on their succesful rock album called "The Wall." On the article "Pink Floyd The Wall" which was taken by Magill's Survey of Cinema, 06-15-1995; we can see that the main purpose of this article is to tell what this film is all about. The director of the film was Alan Parker, who with his creativity in motion, was capable to fashion a film out of the music and lyrics written by the Pink Floyd bassist: Roger Waters, who we all know by now.

Pink Floyd The Wall began as an album originally planned by Roger Waters, to be both a stage show and a film. Waters was the one who composed all the original music. He was inspired by the isolation he has experienced throughout his life on stage. This film presents a violent, disturbing insight into a burned-out rock star. Through flashbacks and hallucinations, Pink explores the conveyor belt regimentation of his school days, his power over his audience and fans, which became a dictatorial hold similar to the power Hitler had over his race. Pink also experienced an extreme fearfulness toward women, which he saw as rapacious devourers.

The author noticed that as Pink is having all kinds of hallucinations, he's constructing a wall. This metaphorical wall also comes tumbling down while he explores his self-alienationhe has constructed around him. We can easily underatnd that Pink became a mouthoiece for Waters' opinions and an instrument through which he could exorcise his demonds. Although this film was all Waters' idea, he couldn't play Pink, because he was too close to the material. The one chosen to play Pink's role was Bob Geldof, the lead singer of the Irish group "The Boomtown Rats." He was chosen because of his thetrical quality of his live performances. Geldof, who wasn't a Pink Floyd fan, thought that "Pink" was a pathetic figure who was full of self-pity, which is true.

The character of Pink is a man who is self-consciusly destroying himself. He had lots of problems and issues throughout his entire life. At the very moment his father was killed in Italy during World War II, Pink was being born in London, so he grew up fatherless. At school Pink was intellectually repressed by the schoolmasters, the teachers. But that wasn't all. As we can see in the film he feels hatred of an hostility toward women. And on the video, there are no tender moments between men and women. The author states that for Pink, women are repressive mothers, cheating wives, devouring monsters, insipids and immorals. I wonder if, that's what Waters really feels?

The article says that Pink's private world is frought with grotesque memories and hallucinogenic sequences. When he is alone, which is most of the time, he begins to explore the horrors of his public world as a rock-and-roll demagogue. During his concerts he appears as an unfeeling tool of the music, he feels his emotions slipping away. That's what drugs can do. The good thing about drugs or its good side is that one would never feel alone, because of the hallucinations and all those strange things one can see. Now, can you imagine the bad side?

The author says that it was hard to secure the backing for Pink Floyd The Wall. The backers were wary of still another concert film, and were not sure if it was a good idea to sign the checks to cover the eleven-million dollar budget. Once they signed, and the financial backing was secure, they started their filming project. Many people probably think that Pink Floyd The Wall is simply another "concert film," but it is not. Pink Floyd The Wall is, like the author says on his last paragraph, "an agonized story of postwar decadence, a fable marred by confused intentions, a film which encourages many of the excesses against which it is ostensibly directed."

I personally liked this film. I've watched it a lot of times and I don't grow tired of it. Although this film has a problem, and could be bad for some people, because of its tone; which lacks of humor and self-mockery. But over all it's okay, and I hope everyone would get a chance to watch it and try to enjoy it.