Greetings again from the darkness. No one familiar with Pink Floyd would expect a conventional concert film from the band. So how about a live concert from the ancient Roman amphitheater in Pompeii, the city destroyed by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 A.D.? And just for fun, we’ll have the band playing to an empty arena … no fans allowed. Now THAT is a Pink Floyd concert film.
Adrian Maben’s film was first released in 1972, and has had subsequent video releases since, so it’s likely most Pink Floyd fans have seen the film in one form or another. However, it’s time to watch again – only this time in a remastered 4K version that looks and sounds great. The beginning of the film shows all of the band’s equipment being set up (and yes, they had challenges with running enough electrical power to the area).
If you aren’t sure, this is the post-Syd Barrett lineup with Roger Waters on bass (and gong), David Gilmour on lead guitar, Richard Wright on keyboards, and Nick Mason on drums. In keeping with the times, we often see Gilmour and Wright going shirtless, scraggily hair on Waters, and sandals for the Italian sand. Also making his way around the band and equipment is Peter Watts (father of actress Naomi Watts), the band’s stage and sound manager.
It’s quite a visual to see the band and all the high dollar equipment set up in the middle of an empty majestic relic of the past. Songs played in the amphitheater include “Echoes” (split into two pieces), “A Saucerful of Secrets”, “One of These Days” (mostly Mason’s drumming), and then add-ons include “Careful with that Axe, Eugene”, “Mademoiselle Nobs” (with canine vocals), and “Us and Them”. We get some limited interviews, but the only real insights gained are: Mason likes pie without the crust, and the band readily admits to much arguing (no surprise there).
Pink Floyd was always willing to experiment with sounds and sights – here we get some early graphics and effects, including volcanic lava. This film offers a look into those early 1970’s years, and there are even some segments filmed inside the studio for the classic album, “The Dark Side of the Moon”. Certainly, the film helps make sense of the superb lyric, “The lunatic is in my head”.
In theaters and in IMAX beginning April 24, 2025
Posted by David Ferguson 
Movie Reviews from the Dark 