The most descriptive title since Snakes on a Plane
Bono—The Singer
The Edge—The Guitarist
Adam Clayton—The Bassist
Larry Mullen, Jr.—The Drummer
Directed by Catherine Owens and Mark Pellington
Runtime: 85 minutes
Rated G for Goodness (just kidding about that)
For the most part, U2 3D is a straight-up concert film. It doesn’t have the subtext behind other rockumentaries like The Last Waltz or The Concert for Bangladesh. This film simply records the band during a particular place and time—specifically, U2’s “Vertigo” world tour (most of the footage is taken from massive stadium shows in Latin America.). But the gimmick of 3D film does more than provide an immersive experience. Though it doesn’t revolutionize the art of film, this movie provides and interesting view of things to come, and hope that the technology at work can become more than a novelty.
3D offers up a condensed look at what a U2 concert is all about: rocking out, while spreading their message of peace, love, unity and tolerance. It isn’t a set-list for those in search of deep tracks, but most of the standard hits are represented, and for anyone who hasn’t been fortunate enough to experience the splendor and majesty of U2 in concert, this flick is a pretty good indicator of what you’ve been missing.
If that all sounds like the ramblings of a shameless fan, you’re probably right. But then again, that’s certainly the audience this thing is aimed toward. Watching this film, it’s clear to see why the band has maintained their fanbase and relevance for so long. Bono’s “improvised” crowd participation and one-man, stream-of-consciousness vocal jam sessions are in full force, as is his undeniable rock-star presence. But U2 3D also does a nice job of reminding the audience that this isn’t a two-man band (something that even fans can forget at times). Yes, Bono is a force of nature, and if The Edge isn’t that, he’s at least an errant hurricane. But Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen Jr. are mesmerizing musicians in their own right. They both exude a mellow coolness that perfectly complements their more flamboyant comrades. Seeing U2 live cements just what an incredible band they truly are, and each member gets his time to shine in this film.
The movie is effective as a concert piece, but the real question is “Why 3D?” The silly sight-gags that normally populate 3D flicks would, obviously, be out of place here, so the film turns out resembling a moving View Master image most of the time. 3D sees its best use in the editing, as multi-layered images are super-imposed on each other to create a beautiful mosaic of the show. Later numbers also see the inclusion of words and images layered over the live footage, and it is here that the true, artistic potential of 3D technology begins to emerge. Even more than a concert film, U2 3D seems like a tentative experiment to see if the technology has an appeal beyond the novelty factor. Based on the results seen here, I’d say the answer is a resounding “yes.” At times, the film is a positively avant-garde piece of art. The results are very intriguing, though I would like to have seen the envelope pushed even farther. Hopefully, this will open the door for other, more daring filmmakers to see 3D as a new tool for their artistic workbench. Whether it be a further melding of music and imagery (an all-new, 3D addition to the Fantasia series seems like an obvious choice, and would be keeping with Walt Disney’s original vision of the project), or something completely original, the artistic possibilities for this technology are endless.
The 411: Not only is U2 3D a great (albeit abbreviated) showcase for the band, it offers a possible glimpse of the future. Though the filmmakers didn’t go too wild here, the use of 3D was interesting and, at times, inspired. This one could be an early example of a new artistic movement, and it’s worth checking out if you’re a fan of the music.
