Rolling Thunder Revue: A Bob Dylan Story by Martin Scorsese (The Criterion Collection) [DVD]

Rented this so many times, it was time to buy it.

Scorsese does a nice job of mixing disparate off stage footage with spectacular concert footage of Dylan into an interesting narrative. The film does capture the spontaneity and creative energy of the tour. Some of it, while fascinating, does feel like a hodgepodge of film clips. Patti Smith, for example, who I adore and loved seeing in relation to Dylan, felt out of place in the context of the film. My biggest disappointment though, was the exclusion of Dylan's great performance of Sara at Madison Square Garden. At the end of the song, there's a very touching scene of a female fan breaking into tears from the emotional impact of the performance. For some inexplicable reason, the song is edited out of the film, and only the fan breaking down is included, which robs the scene of most of its emotional impact.

A documentary about the tour. A small amount of music a lot of blah blah blah. Which is a shame because he probably was at his prime. What about the concerts? The music timeless. Too much extraneous. Not a repeat watch too much blah with the music to scattered in between. Albeit great music generally truncated.

Great documentation of an historic musical 'tour'. This provides unique insight into the offstage dynamics between performers and musicians in the format of small venues; also the small venues performances allowed genuine interaction between performers and the crowd unlike the mega-arena 'concerts' common today where special effects trump the music. Dylan's use of the electric guitar on his older works changed the dymanic from pleading for change to demanding it! Whsh there were more complete performances from the assembly of great musicians on the tour.

I positively love this film, every single frame of it. The performance footage is somewhere beyond classic; the actual documentary aspects are of the sneaking a peek behind the curtain variety; and Scorsese's tweaking of the story with tongue-in-cheek interviews of both real and bogus characters is Dylanesque in the best possible way. With birthday # 80 just up around the bend, Bob's still breaking new ground and way out in front of the crowd in every possible way. God love him. Very highly recommended.

This is a documentary film, not a concert film. This film contains several uninterrupted performances of Dylan's song. The live versions of the songs are good. I did not attend any concerts on this tour but I enjoyed watching it. It is an important piece of Dylan's history. I think that Dylan fans should buy it. I would like to see a concert film released from this tour. I would also like to suggest releasing Bob's 1976 TV special from this tour.

Oh,what could have been.A choppy tease of footage from his 1975 tour.When Dylan is present,interesting,otherwise,kind of a snooze.Better to hear complete songs,which you get with the cd,but this film is all over the place.Everyone in it mugs for the camera,many performers come off as annoying at best.I like Patti Smith,but not here.The Last Waltz is much better in content and performance,and made only a year later.There are 5 or 6 complete Dylan performances here,and other than a few other moments,by and large a dud of a movie.I watch Last Waltz from time to time,but this film,one viewing may be enough for some people.Actually 2 1/2 stars is more like it.

Packed well. Dvd as described. Very intimate views of Dylan in concert which I have not seen at his ones.Too much Ginsberg. Well photographed.

It’s Bob!What more can you say!

Disliked nothing.Amazing footage and sound. Restoration from less than perfect sources is a testimony to Scorsese's skills as one of the all-time greats of film making. The "talking head" content was concise, relevant and entertaining. Bob's vocals and stage presence was arguably at its peak around this time. The extras are excellent. I would recommend this to any music fan - even those few who do not get Bob.

El producto está muy cuidado, pero ojo, los subtitulos solo están en Inglés ( subtitulación buena de forma y contenido). Los extras no tienen ninguna subtitulación.

If you are expecting The Last Waltz here you are in for a letdown. It's basically Dylan and friends on a long LSD trip.His voice is showing the rigors of drug abuse and his white face makeup just adds to the delirium. Even Joan Baez normally beautiful voice seems haggard and lack-luster, what little you see of her that is. Joni Mitchell makes a cameo and that's about it. Other than some retrospect from an aged Baez, there's little here to celebrate. It's like Scorcese was just going through the motions on this one. For hard-core Dylan fans only.

Just a heads up, the DVD doesn't include the writings by Allen Ginsberg or Sam Shepard that are mentioned in the description. It's still worth purchasing though, the film itself is a masterpiece.