Siskel & Ebert: Review "U2: Rattle & Hum"
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indra
ONE love, blood, life
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- 12,689
I miss Gene Siskel. 
That's pretty good. I like when Siskel calls Bono "that guy".
bratty_cat
War Child
LOL, "that guy"
DoctorMacPhisto
War Child
Sigh...they clearly didn't get the point of the film.
U2 weren't trying to show us how they got to this plateau during the Joshua Tree era, they were just trying to exhibit some good tunes and a few moments behind the scenes.
It wasn't a "documentary", it was more of a show.
U2 weren't trying to show us how they got to this plateau during the Joshua Tree era, they were just trying to exhibit some good tunes and a few moments behind the scenes.
It wasn't a "documentary", it was more of a show.
pepokiss
Rock n' Roll Doggie ALL ACCESS
so... it was nothing? 
I like Rattle & Hum a lot, but it does have some weak (and weird) moments. As long as the band are on stage, playing, it works, but most of the non-musical moments are quite poorly done. It seems like Joanou just grabbed his hand-held camera and filmed anything that happened... which is kind of cool, but doesn't make for a great film.
But I disagree about the lighting of the concert scenes -- I think the film's single strongest point is the way the concert scenes, especially the black & white, are filmed. Sure, as Ebert points out, they all look the same, but that just reflects U2's honest approach to (minimal) stage decoration at the time.
My points, however, just identify the inherent flaw of U2: Rattle & Hum -- not the movie itself, but rather the project: it had no purpose. Since the offstage stuff is minimized and mono-syllabic, all we're left with is the concert scenes. And people buy tickets to go to concerts, not tickets to go to movies about concerts.
If they had put this movie straight to VHS and ignored the theaters, everyone would talk of it as the greatest concert movie ever, but the pretention of the theatrical release killed it.
(It is nice to remember a time when Bono was only known for being the singer in a band.)
But I disagree about the lighting of the concert scenes -- I think the film's single strongest point is the way the concert scenes, especially the black & white, are filmed. Sure, as Ebert points out, they all look the same, but that just reflects U2's honest approach to (minimal) stage decoration at the time.
My points, however, just identify the inherent flaw of U2: Rattle & Hum -- not the movie itself, but rather the project: it had no purpose. Since the offstage stuff is minimized and mono-syllabic, all we're left with is the concert scenes. And people buy tickets to go to concerts, not tickets to go to movies about concerts.
If they had put this movie straight to VHS and ignored the theaters, everyone would talk of it as the greatest concert movie ever, but the pretention of the theatrical release killed it.
(It is nice to remember a time when Bono was only known for being the singer in a band.)
What an eye opener for me - that professional entertainment reviewers could be so oblivious, ill prepared and aparently unable to understand singing in the english language! And to not know ANYTHING about U2?!? I truly find that astonishing!
From the very first time I heard U2 (back in the early 80's) one of the things I liked about them was that I could understand everything they were singing, the first time I heard it. I have seen a lot of of U2 bashing in my time, but it was never that they couldnt understand what Bono was singing, usually quite the opposite! It's one of their key characteristics. So I truly wonder where S&E's heads were at, to not understand the clip they used from RTSS?! Were they paying ANY attention? To me, they it seemed like they were so wound up trying to fit R&H into their pre-set movie review model they didn't actually experience the film as it is.
Here is the other newsflash for S&E - this was filmed a LONG time ago, not yesterday! It's not a newly released drama - it's a music documentary concerning the band at that time and particular set of songs for crying out loud. The're standards now, but they certainly weren't then!
I don't know, for people supposedly capable of reviewing art, they seemed completely unable to do so.
From the very first time I heard U2 (back in the early 80's) one of the things I liked about them was that I could understand everything they were singing, the first time I heard it. I have seen a lot of of U2 bashing in my time, but it was never that they couldnt understand what Bono was singing, usually quite the opposite! It's one of their key characteristics. So I truly wonder where S&E's heads were at, to not understand the clip they used from RTSS?! Were they paying ANY attention? To me, they it seemed like they were so wound up trying to fit R&H into their pre-set movie review model they didn't actually experience the film as it is.
Here is the other newsflash for S&E - this was filmed a LONG time ago, not yesterday! It's not a newly released drama - it's a music documentary concerning the band at that time and particular set of songs for crying out loud. The're standards now, but they certainly weren't then!
I don't know, for people supposedly capable of reviewing art, they seemed completely unable to do so.
Here is the other newsflash for S&E - this was filmed a LONG time ago, not yesterday! It's not a newly released drama - it's a music documentary concerning the band at that time and particular set of songs for crying out loud. The're standards now, but they certainly weren't then!
I don't know, for people supposedly capable of reviewing art, they seemed completely unable to do so.
This review is from when it came out. Siskel is dead.
Carek1230
Blue Crack Overdose Get me off the internetz!
Wow an old clip....Siskel is missed.
Thats exactly what I thought when I watched that
ozeeko
Refugee
Have to say I agree with them on this review. I find Rattle and Hum to be incredibly boring. Some live performances are sick...Bad, for example. But for the most part it just isn't terribly interesting. U2 were definitely not fond of revealing their personal lives (which is perfectly fine), but still there's a difference between being mysterious and entertaining, and mysterious and boring. Look at Dylan's documentary Don't Look Back. He doesn't reveal anything specifically about himself, but still he's a fascinating character to watch. You see his moodswings, his sense of humor, his outrage at journalists, moments where he is a complete jerk off, plus not to mention the personalities of his crew. You could say he's the biggest asshole artist ever depicted in film, and i wouldn't argue. But still, it's entertaining, and that's the only thing that matters in a film of any kind. You shouldn't have to be completely educated on a band to enjoy their documentary. The closest we get to seeing a raw revealing U2 moment is when Bono sternly reminds his bandmates backstage about the changes in a song. Beyond that, the members don't say or do anything memorable besides visit places (where nothing really happens other than them posing and looking quite serious). The concert footage is way more interesting, but not nearly as compelling as UABLS or ZOOTV. The only moments of humor in the film are the Larry Mullen "musical journey" comment, Adam drinking in a bar saying "i think that's bullshit"(i don't remember the exact quote), and finally Edge sliding down a hill going weee! Don't crucify me, it's just my opinion.
I dont know the lyrics seemed pretty understandable to me...whatever to each their own...
Sounds very simular to "the music from our time was better then this so its very easy to discount", I wonder if Ebert would give the same review today.
Sounds very simular to "the music from our time was better then this so its very easy to discount", I wonder if Ebert would give the same review today.
dal975
The Fly
Simply, one of my all time favorite moments...the look on edge's face is priceless, just a bunch of buddies having a good time...I know R&H takes a lot of grief, and rightly so, but what a great moment...
another great scene is backstage after in god's country when larry ends his little talk with "boom, and in!...cause edge is on a completely different timing as usual"...where would they be without the edge?
i remember a headline from that era...i think it was "bono less than boffo at box office" - i can remember it since who the hell says boffo these days?
The Sad Punk
Blue Crack Addict
DreamOutLoud13
Blue Crack Addict
Siskel and Ebert were right.
I love Rattle and Hum, and I always enjoy watching it. But I, like them, recognize that it could've been so much better. Either make a concert video (even if it's not a whole concert, but just clips strung together) or make a documentary. But don't take a bunch of performance clips and intersperse them with a handful of pointless clips that tell you nothing, and call it a documentary. It's disjointed.
I would've loved to have seen more interview clips and behind the scenes footage and information about the tour and what was going on with the band at the time. We got none of that, and those are the things that make a music documentary worth watching. Case in point: Bono is shown with his arm in a sling during ISHFWILF, but there is no mention of his injury or what happened to him. That's just unacceptable. We know how he dislocated his shoulder, but not everyone that sees the film is going to. It would've made so much more sense to actually talk about it.
I love Rattle and Hum, and I always enjoy watching it. But I, like them, recognize that it could've been so much better. Either make a concert video (even if it's not a whole concert, but just clips strung together) or make a documentary. But don't take a bunch of performance clips and intersperse them with a handful of pointless clips that tell you nothing, and call it a documentary. It's disjointed.
I would've loved to have seen more interview clips and behind the scenes footage and information about the tour and what was going on with the band at the time. We got none of that, and those are the things that make a music documentary worth watching. Case in point: Bono is shown with his arm in a sling during ISHFWILF, but there is no mention of his injury or what happened to him. That's just unacceptable. We know how he dislocated his shoulder, but not everyone that sees the film is going to. It would've made so much more sense to actually talk about it.
roy
Refugee
The guy completely lost me at this point too. As for not being able to hear the lyrics, he just sounded like my Grandma.
The Sad Punk
Blue Crack Addict
I thought it had always been a running joke with U2 fans that Bono's difficult to understand. Personally, I only found out that it isn't "Shamu the mysterious whale" or "I don't believe in panty hoses" last week!
i googled and it appears to be from rolling stoneOh my god, I think I have an old magazine with that headline
The Sad Punk
Blue Crack Addict
i googled and it appears to be from rolling stone
... Yeah, I got that one! Ho wow! I also have one from early 1988 that I'm convinced has the first written media reference to Bono looking like Robin Williams! Real collector's item stuff!
Anybody who thinks the word 'circle' is in I Will Follow is wrong.
YOUR EYES MAKE A CIRCOH.
OrARoundabout
Rock n' Roll Doggie Band-aid
- Joined
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- Messages
- 4,333
Wow, there was a time when you could refer to Bono as "that guy"...lololo
The Sad Punk
Blue Crack Addict
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U2DMfan
Rock n' Roll Doggie VIP PASS
Hahaha lololo
I have that game
I have that game
Hi-yo-yoyo
financeguy
ONE love, blood, life
Timewarp thread, man, really heavy.
shaun vox
New Yorker
those Nerds dont know shit.
R&H is the best u2 dvd(on film) along side Zootv live. 2 must dvd's for anyone that need a u2 fix.
R&H is the best u2 dvd(on film) along side Zootv live. 2 must dvd's for anyone that need a u2 fix.
Reading the lyric booklet is for sissies.
