mickjagger62

The concert footage was the best aspect of The Last Waltz. The songs were great, in particular "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down," "The Weight," and "It Makes No Difference" as well as when Bob Dylan joined them on stage for "Forever Young," "Baby Let Me Follow You Down," and "I Shall Be Released." Van Morrison and Neil Diamond (Why was he there anyway?) were the only exceptions. The interviews were awkward and unnatural. Martin Scorcese was annoying and nerdy and shouldn't have been in the film at all. His buddy, Robbie Robertson, hogged the spotlight, which grew tiring. Rick Danko was much more interesting and deserved more attention.

One of the things that was so refreshing about this film was how its use of music was more subtle compared to films now that overwhelm you with overly-dramatic music.

Gene Hackman's acting was perfect because he took a minimal approach. He didn't have to be obvious or forthright to give us a sense of his character. The inherent irony of his character is that he makes his living by intruding into people's private lives, even though he himself is so fiercely protective of his own. It does resemble "Blow Up," in that in both films the protagonists witness a situation, for which they ultimately have no control over the outcome or the consequences.

It's a haunting film that accomplishes a lot by not over-reaching.