This is the cultural moment everyone is talking about right now. And rather than letting her admirers languish who won’t have the chance to see her on stage, Taylor Swift is bringing the stage to the cinema with the Eras tour film. La Presse attended it on the day of its release.
We somehow had the best seat possible to attend Taylor Swift’s Eras concert. Even those who were in the front row at SoFi Stadium in California during the three performances that were filmed for the film didn’t get the perspective that the feature film gives us. The aerial shots, the added special effects, the entire photographic direction, but above all the close-ups of the singer throughout: the film gives us access to an exclusive and thrilling angle of this show, presenting details that even those in the room might have missed it.
Of course, we would have preferred to be in the stadium during these evenings rather than watching the film on Friday afternoon. But even from our cinema seat (in which we did not sit for long, since it is much more pleasant to attend such a concert standing), this vibrant overview of what the Eras tour is rather very consoled for not being able to be there in real life.
An important technical tour de force of the film: the sound is captured brilliantly, bringing the atmosphere of the stadium into the cinema without the ambient noise being disturbing and above all putting the instruments and Swift’s voice superbly forward way.
First of all, you should know about this Taylor Swift concert, her biggest project to date, that it lasts a little over three hours (we’ve never attended a show that long). For three hours, the singer (almost) never stops singing, dancing, moving around the huge stage and even playing like in the theater to better illustrate her songs.
It seems like everything Taylor Swift wanted for this massive show was executed. Its budget is estimated between 10 and 20 million, according to Forbes, and we have no trouble believing it.
The film is a little shorter than the original version, 2 hours 50 minutes, but well encapsulates all the directing efforts of the singer and her team. Because as long as we present ten paintings, for the ten “eras” that each of his albums represents, we might as well do it well and (very) grandly.
The way the feature film is edited leaves no down time. There is no transition between acts and some songs have even been removed (including Wildest Dreams, The Archer, Cardigan), possibly to lighten things up.
The order of presentation of the eras is (fortunately) not chronological and lets the show breathe, gives explosive moments, then lets the confetti fall calmly, before restarting the dancing numbers. The balance is right. The show begins with the Lover era, then follows Fearless, Evermore, Reputation, Speak Now, Red, Folklore, 1989, surprise songs taken from her homonymous album, and finally, Midnights, the most recent offering in Taylor’s discography Swift.
The transitions are clear, the big screen displays the title of the next scene in front of us, each time causing a reaction in the theaters (at SoFi Stadium, as in the cinema).
Let us also mention that the singer’s stage clothes are all more breathtaking than the others. All of these designs are haute couture pieces from Versace, Elie Saab, Roberto Cavalli, Zuhair Murad, Alberta Ferretti and Oscar de la Renta, while most of the shoes are Christian Louboutin. Throughout the concert, the artist’s costumes, which change with each scene to adapt to the themes, but also sometimes during the same act, are an integral part of the show.
The Eras concert allows us to fully understand the extent of Taylor Swift’s talent. Designed like a Broadway show with a budget 100 times bigger, nothing is left to chance to give the audience three hours of pure entertainment, but also to brand in people’s minds everything that the artist is capable of. ‘accomplish.
Her proposal is not for everyone, but it would be in bad faith to say that she is not a stage beast (without being the best dancer, without having the most impressive voice). His charisma and stage presence are captivating. His way of interacting with his audience makes him (almost) seem accessible. Above all, we see all the work and inventiveness that she infused into this show.
Do not mistake yourself. If the film is exceptional, it does not quite satisfy the desire to attend the concert. On the contrary, seeing Taylor Swift on the big screen has created an exponential need for us to see what it looks like in real life, her on stage, us in the stands of a stadium. This tour (and the film that goes with it) will be remembered for many reasons.
