DVDBLURAY & TV

ROGER WATERS US + THEM

SONY MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT

7/10

Powerfully choreographed rock polemics from a master of the art. By Mark Bentley

METICULOUSLY scripted, beautifully shot, and driven by an unmissable narrative: it’s appropriate that Us + Them  had its premiere at the 2019 Venice Film Festival. A brief theatrical release followed, and this superior cinematic concert film was praised for many of the things we’ll earmark here – crisp visuals, Waters’ powerful performance, and, around him, some exceptional musicianship.

But, like 2014’s Grammy-nominated The Wall – also directed by Waters and his co-pilot Sean Evans – it faced flak for its shock-and-awe politicising, directed at the establishment generally, and the 45th president of the US specifically. Stateside, the MAGA crowd – from whom Pink Floyd undoubtedly draw a fanbase – sure didn’t like it. One punter had the perfect rejoinder: “Bit ignorant to attend a Waters concert and not expect politics.”

Well, quite. Culled from shows at Amsterdam’s Ziggo Dome across a handful of nights on the 2017-18 tour, this 90-minute film – now on 4K, Blu-ray,is filled with “did he just do that?” moments.