Pink Floyd: Behind the Wall Backdrop Blur
Pink Floyd: Behind the Wall Poster

Pink Floyd: Behind the Wall

This documentary looks at the conception, design and live shows of The Wall performed by Pink Floyd in 1980 and 1981. It features in-depth 1980s era interviews with Roger Waters, David Gilmour, Richard Wright and Nick Mason and shows footage of The Wall performed at Earl's Court in 1980. It also features archival footage of the Syd Barrett era Pink Floyd and discusses how David Gilmour was brought into the band to initially augment their live shows when Syd became unreliable due to his drug problem and how Gilmour ultimately replaced him.

Top Cast

  • David Gilmour

    David Gilmour

    Self

  • Nick Mason

    Nick Mason

    Self

  • Roger Waters

    Roger Waters

    Self

  • Richard Wright

    Richard Wright

    Self

  • Joe Boyd

    Joe Boyd

    Self

Overview

This documentary looks at the conception, design and live shows of The Wall performed by Pink Floyd in 1980 and 1981. It features in-depth 1980s era interviews with Roger Waters, David Gilmour, Richard Wright and Nick Mason and shows footage of The Wall performed at Earl's Court in 1980. It also features archival footage of the Syd Barrett era Pink Floyd and discusses how David Gilmour was brought into the band to initially augment their live shows when Syd became unreliable due to his drug problem and how Gilmour ultimately replaced him.

Rating

8.1 / 10
47 Reviews
1 Popular

2 Reviews

  • Wuchak
    Wuchak
    8 Nov 12, 2018

    ***Focuses on the early years and skims over the rest*** This quality documentary from 2011 is only 80 minutes long with 50 minutes spent on the band’s beginnings in the 60s and the Syd Barrett years, plus the immediate aftermath, which covers their first two albums when they sounded like a cross between The Doors and latter-day Beatles. Speaking of whom, the film shows how The Beatles were recording SGT. PEPPER’S at the same studio when the Floyd boys were recording THE PIPER AT THE GATES OF DAWN (1967) and how the Fab Four were influenced by Floyd’s creative and boundless psychedelia. This leaves 30 minutes for the rest of their career, including the most important period revolving around DARK SIDE OF THE MOON (1973), WISH YOU WERE HERE (1975), ANIMALS (1977) and THE WALL (1979), with ANIMALS being inexplicably omitted altogether! Still, what's here is very good with lots of footage from the era in question and interviews with the surviving band members & Co.

  • jchaven
    jchaven
    6 Aug 28, 2022

    Yes, this is more about the band and less about "The Wall" tour. Why it is described as a documentary about the behind-the-scenes making of the tour is a mystery. Still, this is a pretty decent documentary about the beginnings of the band and the post-Waters era with a lot of footage from each decade.

Recommendations

Milli Vanilli

The story of Robert Pilatus and Fabrice Morvan, who became fast friends during their youth in Germany. With Rob coming from a broken home and Fabrice having left an abusive household, they shared a similar upbringing, as well as a future goal: to become famous superstars. In a few short years, their dreams came true. Rob and Fab, better known as Milli Vanilli, became the world's most popular pop duo in 1990 and won the GRAMMY for Best New Artist. However, their ascension to success came with a devastating price that ultimately led to their infamous undoing.

Milli Vanilli

7.1 2023
Classic Albums: Pink Floyd - The Making of The Dark Side of the Moon

Released to coincide with the 30th anniversary of this classic album, learn how Pink Floyd assembled "Dark Side of the Moon" with the aid of original engineer Alan Parsons. All four band members--Roger Waters, David Gilmour, Nick Mason, and Richard Wright--are interviewed at length, giving valuable insights into the recording process. The themes of the album are discussed at length, and the band take you back to the original multi track tapes to illustrate how they pieced together the songs. With individual performances of certain tracks from Roger, David, and Richard included, this is an essential purchase for any Pink Floyd fans, and a fascinating artefact for rock historians everywhere.

Classic Albums: Pink Floyd - The Making of The Dark Side of the Moon

7.4 2003
Pink Floyd: The Story of Wish You Were Here

Wish You Were Here, released in September 1975, was the follow up album to the globally successful The Dark Side Of The Moon and is cited by many fans, as well as band members Richard Wright and David Gilmour, as their favorite Pink Floyd album. On release it went straight to Number One in both the UK and the US and topped the charts in many other countries around the world. This program tells the story of the making of this landmark release through new interviews with Roger Waters, David Gilmour and Nick Mason and archive interviews with the late Richard Wright. Also featured are sleeve designer Storm Thorgerson, guest vocalist Roy Harper, front cover burning man Ronnie Rondell and others involved in the creation of the album. In addition, original recording engineer Brian Humphries revisits the master tapes at Abbey Road Studios to illustrate aspects of the songs construction.

Pink Floyd: The Story of Wish You Were Here

7.3 2012