Jonathan Demme's and Talking Heads' Stop Making Sense (1984)
I decided to change things up a bit tonight and finally check out the late Jonathan Demme’s legendary Talking Heads concert film, Stop Making Sense (1984). Outside of listening to a few podcast interviews with David Byrne (who is a very interesting artist), I know next to nothing about Talking Heads. I do, however, know and love the work of Jonathan Demme (my favorite being Rachel Getting Married (2008)) and years ago when I learned he directed what is widely regarded as the greatest concert film of all time, I had to check it out. However, it’s very hard to find outside of the expensive A24 release and though it’s been on my radar for probably a decade, I only just recently found this blu-ray copy.
The first thing I noticed about Stop Making Sense was its immersive, cinematic direction. The film is beautifully and dynamically shot by cinematographer Jordan Cronenweth, who shot two favorite films of mine: Ken Russell’s Altered States (1980) and Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner (1982). It’s hard to believe it’s a live show because every performance is lit and blocked masterfully and it seems impossible to have put it together in, for lack of a better term, one take.
The concert itself is pure joy from start to finish with a mix of Talking Heads songs, David Byrne solo songs, and a brief performance by Tom Tom Club (the Talking Heads side project of drummer Chris Frantz and his wife, bassist Tina Weymouth). I went into this viewing having previously heard only four of the sixteen songs performed, but it didn’t matter because I loved every one of them.
The show starts small with an empty stage aside from Byrne on acoustic guitar and Tina Weymouth on bass. However, with seemingly every new song the show builds up musicians and instruments like a snowball rolling downhill and by the midway point it’s a massive production. The entire band is extremely talented, every performance has a completely different aesthetic, and there’s never a lull.
There were points in Stop Making Sense where the artistry of the band and the film itself moved me to tears. Seeing David Byrne throw his whole body into every song is incredible and the performance of “Girlfriend is Better” in his iconic oversized suit is just as amazing as it’s hyped up to be. Stop Making Sense truly is a wonderful achievement for both for music and cinema and I can honestly say it converted me into a Talking Heads fan.
There was a time I watched this DVD on loop. I was addicted to its infectious elation. Always very cool to be reminded it still exists and that other people are drawn to it in a similar fashion.
I have a fun story about watching this one. Back in the early 2010s, the wife and I attended the Toronto Film Festival. With a lengthy gap between planned movies, we just tooled around the city looking for things to do. We stumbled upon a free outdoor screening of Stop Making Sense that someone from the festival had set up with a portable projection screen in the middle of a blocked-off street. This was in mid-day, mind you, probably early afternoon. We decided we'd stick around for a few minutes, maybe watch a couple songs, and then head out.
Over time, the crowd kept growing and growing as more people were drawn by the music, and we were so mesmerized by the film we couldn't leave. A Talking Heads superfan behind us was jumping up and down and mouthing the lyrics to every song. People were cheering and dancing. It felt like we were at a real Talking Heads concert. It was really one of the most amazingly fun movie experiences I've ever had.
I couldn't tell you what else we watched that day. This was the highlight of the festival for us.