Music documentary. Director Daniel Roher charts the rise and fall of the Band, who first made their name as Bob Dylan's backing group before finding success in their own right and ultimately waving farewell with 1976's legendary The Last Waltz concert. Among those interviewed are frontman Robbie Robertson and various friends, fans and collaborators, including Bruce Springsteen, Van Morrison and Eric Clapton.
This long overdue feature-length documentary about rock legends the Band is based on group leader Robbie Robertson's 2017 memoir Testimony. Directed by Daniel Roher, it blends intimate studio jams (notably at the notorious "ugly pink house" in Woodstock) and soulful renditions of The Weight and The Night They Rode Old Dixie Down, sealing in amber Bob Dylan's former backing band's extra-sensory unity. Archive footage of departed members Levon Helm, Rick Danko and Richard Manuel proves revealing, and the narrative doesn't shy away from the drink-and-drugs years. Robertson's ex-wife Dominique Bourgeois is also on hand to add clarity, while musician Ronnie Hawkins brings eccentricity. As a reflective but proud Robertson observes, "It was so beautiful it went up in flames!" Played back-to-back with Martin Scorsese's concert film The Last Waltz (1976), it's all we need to know about the Band's unique journey.
| role | name |
|---|---|
| Robbie Robertson | Robbie Robertson |
| Martin Scorsese | Martin Scorsese |
| Bruce Springsteen | Bruce Springsteen |
| Eric Clapton | Eric Clapton |
| Van Morrison | Van Morrison |
| Ronnie Hawkins | Ronnie Hawkins |
| role | name |
|---|---|
| Director | Daniel Roher |
