The line forms here for the world's greatest and possibly most influential band--Led Zeppelin. This mesmerizing movie built around Zep's famed 1973 concerts at New York's Madison Square Gard... Read allThe line forms here for the world's greatest and possibly most influential band--Led Zeppelin. This mesmerizing movie built around Zep's famed 1973 concerts at New York's Madison Square Garden is convincing proof why.The line forms here for the world's greatest and possibly most influential band--Led Zeppelin. This mesmerizing movie built around Zep's famed 1973 concerts at New York's Madison Square Garden is convincing proof why.
- Self - Lead Singer
- (as Led Zeppelin)
- Self - Guitarist
- (as Led Zeppelin)
- Self - Bassist & Keyboardist
- (as Led Zeppelin)
- Self - Drummer
- (as Led Zeppelin)
- Self
- (uncredited)
- Self
- (uncredited)
- Self
- (uncredited)
- Self
- (uncredited)
- Self
- (uncredited)
- Self
- (uncredited)
- Self
- (uncredited)
- Self
- (uncredited)
- Self
- (uncredited)
- Directors
- Writer
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaJimmy Page's scene was filmed in the Scottish Highlands behind his house, previously owned by Aleister Crowley, on the shores of Loch Ness in Scotland.
- GoofsThroughout the movie, Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones have different outfits on. However, this is because the movie was filmed when the band played Madison Square Garden 3 nights in a row in 1973, and both Jimmy and John Paul didn't want to wear the same outfits. Small portions of songs were also filmed in 1974 at Shepperton Studios because of missing pieces of songs.
- Quotes
Robert Plant - Lead Singer: I think this is a song of hope.
[singing]
Robert Plant - Lead Singer: There's a lady who's sure, All that glitters is gold, And she's buying a Stairway to Heaven...
- Crazy credits"Stairway to Heaven" is played in its entirely, resulting in several minutes with the words "Exit Music" on a black screen after the credits have finished rolling as the music continues.
- Alternate versionsUK cinema release was seemingly pre-cut for an A rating (roughly a modern PG), to remove a scene with frequent swearing. The backstage scene in question shows Peter Grant letting loose on a crew member for not clamping down on poster bootleggers. The several uses of strong language aren't mentioned in the BBFC's original cinema report, and the video report from 1987 questions the previous lack of mention of swearing - all UK video releases are uncut and upgraded to 15.
- ConnectionsEdited into Led Zeppelin: Black Dog (Live at Madison Square Garden 1973) (1976)
- SoundtracksRock & Roll
Written by Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, John Paul Jones, and John Bonham
Performed by Led Zeppelin
Music Published by Superhype Music, Inc.
Back to my original comment. I am obsessed with this movie for the same reason I am obsessed with the music of Zeppelin in general, because after giving it time to grow on me and develop a taste for it, the movie became addicting to watch. I have now watched it so many times that I have learned to appreciate the purpose of the fantasy clips, the placement of the songs on the DVD, and why they all tie together the way they do.
I do agree with those who believe that skipping the shootout in the beginning is the right thing to do. The country life sequence, however, provides tremendous insight into each of the band members and completes the picture of the ordinary human side as well as the psychedelic band member side. Robert Plant shares a peaceful moment with his wife and skinny-dipping children. John Bonham plows his fields. John Paul Jones reads Jack and the Beanstalk to his children. And finally Jimmy Page sits quietly by a lake and plays a hurdy-gurdy.
Coming into the concert, one already has the vision of the four men as normal people in the back of their minds, not just eccentric, wild rockers, so the viewer is not alienated from the band as they launch into their classic tunes with barely time to catch a breath in between. Augmented by the music, the viewer dives deeper into the minds of the band members with an emotionally profound vigor.
The roller coaster ride extends from the "in-your-face" blues of Since I've Been Loving You to the dark edginess of No Quarter, from the whimsical strangeness of The Song Remains The Same to the beautiful stateliness of the Rain Song. Played in a different key, the Rain Song has the same amount of power and energy as its counterpart on the Houses of the Holy LP, but this live version delivers with a more triumphant, confident, and splendid statement than the reflective, oft melancholy LP take. As the song builds towards its rapturous (and victorious for Robert Plant) climax, the tone of the concert and DVD reaches it height. Then, in a stark contrast, the viewer then must sadly leave the sojourn in paradise and descend into the uneasy, convoluted maze of Dazed and Confused. Just when the viewer seems convinced that his descent has led him to hell as the song reaches the 26 minute mark, his reward for his own Zeppelin "endurance" is despite paradise being lost, finding heaven quite literally and being treated to the timeless Stairway to Heaven.
The fantasy scenes take the longest to grow on the viewer, but, with time, augment the music and vice versa. It is then that the film begins to resemble "Fantasia," only with Led Zeppelin music. This is particularly true of the bow solo in the middle of Dazed and Confused, because it eerily echos the equally long, convoluted, and edgy strains of Stravinsky's Rite of Spring, but punctuated visually with the youthening of Jimmy Page as opposed to the aging of the early planet Earth.
That is the kind of appreciation I have for this movie, and although Led Zeppelin is by no means perfect in this movie, the viewer can come to respect that because they have that picture of them as ordinary men already in their mind. I believe this movie is overall genius and the most accurate canvas painting of all aspects of the four musical geniuses known as Led Zeppelin we possess.
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Details
- Release date
- Countries of origin
- Official sites
- Language
- Also known as
- La canción es la misma
- Filming locations
- Loch Ness, Highland, Scotland, UK(Moonlit mountain climb)
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Gross worldwide
- $2,666
- Runtime2 hours 17 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.85 : 1