If it wasn't for me seeing Jonathan Demme's filmography, I might never have heard about the Talking Heads. So I know the band is from the 80s, a generation whose music I simply cannot tolerate but hey, I was born during that time and I don't remember the music so I'm ok. I must mention however that even though the Talking Heads are from the 80s their music style is way out there. It doesn't sound like music from that era; it's a completely different kind of sound. Even though I wasn't impressed much by the music (except for `This Must Be the Place'), the film itself is definitely worth checking out.
Unlike most concert films they try to praise the performer with laser effects, explosions, and of course the glamour. Stop Making Sense is very different, extremely stylish yet very simple. The footage is composed of shots that the audience would normally see at a concert, meaning throughout the film we only see the staging area, not the audience nor the backstage or anything like that. As the band plays on stage, in the background are a compilation of images composed of photographs, locations, colors, and words. The main attraction of this film is the cinematography. The main stand out of the film for me was where David Byrne plays with the lamp as he sings This Must Be the Place. The low-key lighting of the film gives it an extremely serene feeling. Along with the dimming of the background and the lighting of each of the members blending into the darkness gives a different feeling to a concert film. A great example of this dimming technique is another Demme film entitled Swimming to Cambodia, featuring Spalding Gray.
So why did I decide to see Stop Making Sense? Well, because I like the films of Jonathan Demme. He has a very unique style to his films, such as the actors talking directly to the camera. To see a filmmaker of his status direct a concert movie was something I just had to see. An experienced filmmaker making a concert film seemed a bit awkward but the final result is quite rewarding. I'm glad to see filmmakers not indulge into one type of genre, its good for them to try something new.
Unlike most concert films they try to praise the performer with laser effects, explosions, and of course the glamour. Stop Making Sense is very different, extremely stylish yet very simple. The footage is composed of shots that the audience would normally see at a concert, meaning throughout the film we only see the staging area, not the audience nor the backstage or anything like that. As the band plays on stage, in the background are a compilation of images composed of photographs, locations, colors, and words. The main attraction of this film is the cinematography. The main stand out of the film for me was where David Byrne plays with the lamp as he sings This Must Be the Place. The low-key lighting of the film gives it an extremely serene feeling. Along with the dimming of the background and the lighting of each of the members blending into the darkness gives a different feeling to a concert film. A great example of this dimming technique is another Demme film entitled Swimming to Cambodia, featuring Spalding Gray.
So why did I decide to see Stop Making Sense? Well, because I like the films of Jonathan Demme. He has a very unique style to his films, such as the actors talking directly to the camera. To see a filmmaker of his status direct a concert movie was something I just had to see. An experienced filmmaker making a concert film seemed a bit awkward but the final result is quite rewarding. I'm glad to see filmmakers not indulge into one type of genre, its good for them to try something new.