Lou Reed Berlin
by Julian Schnabel
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Lou ReedDirector: Julian Schnabel
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Original Language); English (Unknown); Spanish (Subtitled); English (Subtitled)
Format: Color, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
Running Time: 81 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2008-09-30
Audience Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: Miriam Collection
Movie Reviews of Lou Reed Berlin
Movie Review: Excellent DVD, incredible sound (even if "Berlin" is not a favorite of yours)
Summary: 4 Stars
I'm going to assume that if you've clicked thru to this product description, you are at least familiar with Lou Reed's "Berlin" album, so I'll dispense with a critique of the album itself. While it was never one of my personal favorites in his catalogue (I favor "Transformer", "The Blue Mask" and "New York" over "Berlin"'s exceptional bleakness/depressing themes, but that's my own opinion), if "Berlin" IS one of YOUR favorites, then you should consider this review to be a five-star rating, and go out and get this DVD immediately. The reason I say that is that this DVD has not only a good-to-great performance, but the sound quality (in 5.1) has a ton of presence and sounded terrific on my home theater, and is extremely well-produced. Nice camera work, but the double exposure/projections sometimes rendered it a bit too arty for my tastes (though I `get' what they were going for, since there's a story here, so this was probably never going to be a `straight concert film' esp. with someone like Schnabel directing). Reed's band this time out is comprised of alumni of his band over the years, including Steve Hunter (wow!), Rob Wasserman, Fernando Saunders, and Antony Hegarty (who takes a nice turn on vocals on "Candy Says", which is also performed), Jane Scarpantoni, etc, so the chops are in the house, plus there are horns and a choir (so the songs are completely fleshed out). As I said before, the sound is excellent - but I would've expected no less from Bob Ezrin and Hal Willner (who have also previously worked with Reed) - excellent mix and you can really hear each instrument in sharp detail, so make sure you play this on a system that's worthy. Reed and band play "Berlin" in its entirety, then add on a couple of songs ("Candy Says", "Rock Minuet" and "Sweet Jane") for good measure. I guess one of the best things I can say about this (aside from everything I've already said) is that it has me reaching for my copy of "Berlin" on my shelf, to give it another spin/reconsideration. (There are also a couple of extras on the disc - the trailer, some tour footage, and a brief clip of Reed and Schnabel on Elvis Costello's talk show).
Summary of Lou Reed Berlin
Lou Reed co-founder of The Velvet Underground and the man behind such iconic rock songs as Sweet Jane and Walk on the Wild Side stars in one of the most satisfying concert films (Lee Marshall, Screen International) in decades. Oscar-nominated director Julian Schnabel (The Diving Bell and the Butterfly) captures this historic moment in time, as Reed performed his legendary 1973 album, Berlin, live for the first time. Rocking horns, soulful guitar and the angelic voices of the Brooklyn Youth Chorus bring Reed s devastatingly honest lyrics to full life in this exceptionally strong performance (John DeFore, Hollywood Reporter).How do you adapt a record once described as "the most depressing album of all time" into a multi-media stage performance? Rather well, when it comes to Lou Reed?s Berlin. The former Velvet Underground mainstay was already established as a solo artist, buoyed by the hit "Walk on the Wild Side," when he released the Berlin recording in 1973. That it was not a commercial success, to say the least, is unsurprising, given its relentlessly grim lyric content and music that, while often very appealing, is hardly the stuff that Top Ten dreams are made of. Still, it made sense when Reed revived the work some 35 years later for a single world tour and concert DVD. Working with film director Julian Schnabel (The Diving Bell and the Butterfly), Reed brings a quiet power to his weary tale of hopeless junkies Caroline and Jim, whose lives, already bound for the gutter when the performance begins, completely bottom out little over an hour later (the 81-minute DVD includes a few encores, notably the Velvet Underground classic "Sweet Jane"). The songs, played by a standard rock band but with subtle touches of horns, strings, and choir (Antony Hegarty of Antony and the Johnsons adds vocals as well), are for the most part strikingly prosaic; Reed has never been much of a singer, and his words are anything but flowery, closer to prose than verse (many lines, like "All of her friends call her Alaska when she takes speed," are more spoken than sung). Schnabel does a superb job matching the downbeat mood, relying primarily on the use of low, filtered lighting and film (in which Caroline is portrayed by Emmanuelle Seigner). Not for everyone, certainly, but Berlin is a work to be admired. --Sam Graham
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