Pink Floyd The Wall (movie)
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Cilpot
Pretentious Schmuck
Naturally I think that the Wall is a great movie, seing as I am a huge Pink Floyd fan. Especially the work of Roger Waters is IMO fantastic.
I do, however, suspect that some people understand the movie and still don't like it
I do, however, suspect that some people understand the movie and still don't like it
I saw it about ten times in the theater, countless times on tape and now I own the dvd. I probably understand more about this movie than is healthy. One of my favorites.
BTW - I love the scene with the billboard of Mike Schmidt drinking a 7-up in the back ground. He was one of my favorite ball players.
BTW - I love the scene with the billboard of Mike Schmidt drinking a 7-up in the back ground. He was one of my favorite ball players.
Panda
Metal head
There were some nice hooters in it. And some decent music. 
As for me, I really liked the movie (after seeing it twice) but I don't understand a few things:
1) What does it mean when they show Pink as 'Hitler' (that's the only person I could describe as what he looks like in those scenes) and what do those marching hammers mean?
2) The scene near the beginning of the movie where they show the kids stampeding and then being arrested.
Can someone enlighten me?
1) What does it mean when they show Pink as 'Hitler' (that's the only person I could describe as what he looks like in those scenes) and what do those marching hammers mean?
2) The scene near the beginning of the movie where they show the kids stampeding and then being arrested.
Can someone enlighten me?
Double Barrel
Deity
The movie is great. 
It can be interpreted on so many levels, so these thoughts are merely my own and not meant to be taken as anything but my own opinions.
I think the movie was showing the dangers of conformity and the attempt by the state (through the education system) to teach against individualism. Pink was going through personal problems, with his marriage, career, and addictions, and his mindset became a totalitarian one ruled by the authoritarian in his personality (one created in the school system to begin with). Althought he initially rebelled against authority (through his creativity), he eventually came full circle and turned into that which he was taught - through his mother and through school (society).
The hammers were metaphors for his followers (fans), who blindly follow the entertainer towards certain doom. He was able to manipulate the audience, much in the way Hitler manipulated German citizens. Many people follow entertainers so closely that they lose themselves, often dressing, acting, and trying to become the public image of the entertainer (I see it a lot with Marilyn Manson fans, for instance).
This goes back to the conformity theme. Children have natural energies that are wild, creative, and often seem out-of-control. Our schools have become indoctrination centers, that brainwash the individuality and creativity out of people and turn them into mindless automated consumers. Don't ask questions, obey authority. They remove the desire to be critical thinkers and question everything, including authority. (remember how the children eventually all had the same face and were being fed into the meat grinder? This is both society and later, the military for turning men into cannon fodder.)
Rogers uses a lot of metaphors, where what you are seeing on screen can be what you see, or symbolism for much deeper social issues (as well as personal struggles).
I'm not sure if these explanations are what Pink Floyd was shooting for, but it is the general sense of my own thoughts from the many, many viewings of The Wall that I've experienced.
It can be interpreted on so many levels, so these thoughts are merely my own and not meant to be taken as anything but my own opinions.
I think the movie was showing the dangers of conformity and the attempt by the state (through the education system) to teach against individualism. Pink was going through personal problems, with his marriage, career, and addictions, and his mindset became a totalitarian one ruled by the authoritarian in his personality (one created in the school system to begin with). Althought he initially rebelled against authority (through his creativity), he eventually came full circle and turned into that which he was taught - through his mother and through school (society).
The hammers were metaphors for his followers (fans), who blindly follow the entertainer towards certain doom. He was able to manipulate the audience, much in the way Hitler manipulated German citizens. Many people follow entertainers so closely that they lose themselves, often dressing, acting, and trying to become the public image of the entertainer (I see it a lot with Marilyn Manson fans, for instance).
This goes back to the conformity theme. Children have natural energies that are wild, creative, and often seem out-of-control. Our schools have become indoctrination centers, that brainwash the individuality and creativity out of people and turn them into mindless automated consumers. Don't ask questions, obey authority. They remove the desire to be critical thinkers and question everything, including authority. (remember how the children eventually all had the same face and were being fed into the meat grinder? This is both society and later, the military for turning men into cannon fodder.)
Rogers uses a lot of metaphors, where what you are seeing on screen can be what you see, or symbolism for much deeper social issues (as well as personal struggles).
I'm not sure if these explanations are what Pink Floyd was shooting for, but it is the general sense of my own thoughts from the many, many viewings of The Wall that I've experienced.
ummmm........
Extremely normal.
Okay, it's art, and you're asking for interpretations, so I'm not saying my way is the right way or this is The Answer or anything like that:
1) Yes, that's Pink as Hitler, or a Hitler type. The point is that Pink is motivated by his need for love and acceptance that he feels (rightly or not) was lacking in his childhood. But then he comes to the realization that he is not so much accepted as idolized, and he could be saying anything; people would still follow him/hang on his every word/worship him/whatever. This sequence is just the visual representation of that. So yeah, he's the big rock star, but it's not giving him what he wants/needs.
2) I'm not so sure about the part at the beginning, but one of the major themes of the movie is how Pink feels (again, rightly or wrongly) that he was effectively betrayed by his mother, and instead of giving him the love and acceptance he asks for in "Mother" she projects all her fears onto him, so he is harmed by someone that was supposed to love and protect him. The police coming to arrest the kids could arguably be another representation of that theme, but that may be a stretch.
Again, just my opinion. Some sites:
allmusic.com
imdb.com
a fansite
EDIT: Cross post
1) Yes, that's Pink as Hitler, or a Hitler type. The point is that Pink is motivated by his need for love and acceptance that he feels (rightly or not) was lacking in his childhood. But then he comes to the realization that he is not so much accepted as idolized, and he could be saying anything; people would still follow him/hang on his every word/worship him/whatever. This sequence is just the visual representation of that. So yeah, he's the big rock star, but it's not giving him what he wants/needs.
2) I'm not so sure about the part at the beginning, but one of the major themes of the movie is how Pink feels (again, rightly or wrongly) that he was effectively betrayed by his mother, and instead of giving him the love and acceptance he asks for in "Mother" she projects all her fears onto him, so he is harmed by someone that was supposed to love and protect him. The police coming to arrest the kids could arguably be another representation of that theme, but that may be a stretch.
Again, just my opinion. Some sites:
allmusic.com
imdb.com
a fansite
EDIT: Cross post
Oh I know that there can be a ton of interpretations, but I don't even have my own interpretation because I didn't know what to make that 'Hitler' scene...
Yeah, another part I didn't really understand was the part that goes along with the song "The Trial".
Bozo Erectus
Master Baker
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I loved it as a teenager when it came out. I was high as a kite when I saw it of course. I have no idea what I would think of the film today.
America444
Coming Back To Life
i love the album but havent seen the movie yet. i really want to though. heres A Complete Analysis of Pink Floyd's "The Wall" that i found. It's really long but really good. It's mostly about the movie too. I hope it helps.
I've owned a copy of the Wall for about 12 years now, and watch it every now and then. It really is brilliant (if a bit disturbed), and the music is obviously wonderful.
ummmm........
Extremely normal.
Or you could have just clicked on the last link in my post.America444 said:
I actually wrote a number of papers on it while I was in college. Unfortunately, I have no idea where that floppy disk is.
As I've said before, I always found that the Wall (the album) was not as good as the rest of Floyd's work. Nonetheless, I've really enjoyed the film, it was very well done. It's a great social commentary, though what that specific commentary is changes for me every time I see it.
As for the Hitleresque Pink, my theory is that those scenes were secretly snuck in by Gilmour, Wright and Mason as a commentary on Roger Waters.
As for the Hitleresque Pink, my theory is that those scenes were secretly snuck in by Gilmour, Wright and Mason as a commentary on Roger Waters.
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