History Film / TheLastWaltz

* BleachedUnderpants: Rick Danko gives Martin Scorsese a tour of their Shangri-La recording studio in Malibu and talks about how it used to be a [[TheOldestProfession bordello]].

* SpiritualAntithesis: Music/TalkingHeads' ''Film/StopMakingSense'' is often considered this to the film with its complete lack of interview or backstage footage.

** Robbie Robertson throughout the show. He came out with a guitar he had ''bronzed''.

* {{Rockumentary}}: Qualifies for this as well as ConcertFilm thanks to the post-concert interview sequences with director Scorsese conducting Q&A with the members of The Band. This is probably the most controversial part of the movie. While Scorsese did conduct interviews with all five members of The Band, Robertson talks more than the rest of them put together, and comes off as the FaceOfTheBand. Scorsese's clueless interviewer performance was an obvious inspiration for Creator/RobReiner's "Marti [=DiBergi=]" character in {{Mockumentary}} ''Film/ThisIsSpinalTap''.

While the result is still widely regarded as one of the best concert films ever made, it has nonetheless attracted criticism. Levon Helm, who right until his 2012 death carried on a bitter feud with Robertson about songwriting credits and royalties, stated that it was Robertson himself who unilaterally decided to quit touring. Helm charged that the film was Robertson's attempt to paint himself as the FaceOfTheBand and launch himself into a film career. (If so this was ironic, as this film launched Levon Helm to the more successful acting career, including as narrator of ''Film/TheRightStuff'' and a starring role in ''Film/CoalMinersDaughter''.) Helm also claimed that Robertson, who rarely sang with The Band despite writing most of their material due to his relatively weak voice, was singing into a dead microphone on stage.

* NiceHat: Robbie Robertson's fedora during the "Don't Do It" performance; Ronnie Hawkins' straw cowboy hat with a hawk emblazoned on the front; Dr. John's beret; Music/BobDylan's white fedora with a feather in the brim.

* {{Scatting}}: Van Morrison starts doing this during "Caravan", before the horns start. Then he stops, screams "TURN IT UP NOW!!", and the horns go bananas.

* NiceHat: Robbie Robertson's fedora during the "Don't Do It" number; Ronnie Hawkins' straw cowboy hat with a hawk emblazoned on the front; Dr. John's beret; Music/BobDylan's white fedora with a feather in the brim.

* ChekhovsGunman: A woman in silhouette can be seen backstage providing backup vocals for Neil Young's performance of "Helpless". It's Joni Mitchell, who elected to stay backstage so as not to take away from her own performance later.

* InadvertentEntranceCue: Martin Scorsese films are always well-edited.

* LargeHam

** Special mention has to be given to Van Morrison, who comes out dressed in a skin-tight purple jumpsuit with spangles, does leg kicks on stage, then drops his mic and walks off the stage before his song is over. And he kicks so much ass doing it.

* MicDrop: Van Morrison does this, dropping his mic and walking off stage before his song, "Caravan", is even over. And given how thoroughly Morrison tore that stage up while delivering a tremendous performance, he was right to do it.

* TheCameo: They didn't play in the show, but Music/RingoStarr and [[Music/TheRollingStonesBand Ron Wood]] appear at the end for the group performance of "I Shall Be Released".

The idea then further grew into capturing the show into a concert film to be directed by none other than Robertson's friend Martin Scorsese, then one of the hottest young directors in Hollywood. While most concert films prior to 1976 had been no-frills filmed performances on 16mm, Scorsese elected to stage the film as a full-on Hollywood production, shooting in 35mm with seven cameras, with specially designed lighting for specific songs, storyboarding, and set design. Scorsese also had The Band perform two songs on a film soundstage: their SignatureSong "The Weight" (along with The Staple Singers), and new song "Evangeline" (with Emmylou Harris). He also included in the movie interview segments in which he talked about the members of The Band about their history and the decision to quit touring.

The result is still regarded as one of the best concert films ever made. It has, however, attracted criticism. Levon Helm, who until his death in 2012 carried on a bitter feud with Robertson about songwriting credits and royalties, stated that it was Robertson himself who unilaterally decided to quit touring. Helm charged that the film was Robertson's attempt to paint himself as the FaceOfTheBand and launch himself into a film career. (If so this was ironic, as this film launched Levon Helm to the more successful acting career, including as narrator of ''Film/TheRightStuff'' and a starring role in ''Film/CoalMinersDaughter''.) Helm also claimed that Robertson, who rarely sang despite writing most of The Band's material due to his poor voice, was singing into a dead microphone on stage.

After 16 years as a touring group, The Band decided to retire from touring and live performance. The Band--bass player/singer Rick Danko, drummer/singer Levon Helm, keyboardist/saxophone player Garth Hudson, pianist/singer Richard Manuel, and guitarist Robbie Robertson--elected to play a final farewell concert on [[UsefulNotes/ThanksgivingDay Thanksgiving]] night, November 25, 1976, at the Winterland Ballroom in UsefulNotes/SanFrancisco. This idea then grew to be a bigger show in which The Band would invite as their {{Special Guest}}s other performers whom they regarded as influences, had worked with in the past, or just held in high esteem. They assembled one hell of an AllStarCast to appear onstage: Ronnie Hawkins, Dr. John, Music/MuddyWaters, Music/EricClapton, Music/JoniMitchell, Music/NeilYoung, Music/VanMorrison, Music/BobDylan (of course), Music/NeilDiamond--yup, Neil Diamond--and others, each of whom performed songs of their own with The Band accompanying them.

* CueTheBilliardShot: The very first scene before the first song is one of the band members explaining the rules of "Cutthroat" before the next shot is of the balls actually breaking.

* NiceHat:
** Bob Dylan wears a ridiculous pimp hat, complete with feather. It works.
** Also Dr. John and his beret, and Ronnie Hawkins and his cowboy hat.

* TheCameo: They didn't play in the show, but Music/RingoStarr and [[Music/TheRollingStones Ron Wood]] appear at the end for the group performance of "I Shall Be Released".

* {{Foreshadowing}}: In an interview segment Levon Helm talks about the traveling shows that used to tour through small towns in the South and how along with their usual family friendly shows they'd do a more boisterous, provocative "midnight ramble" performance. A couple decades later Helm started hosting weekly jam sessions at his Woodstock barn called the Midnight Ramble that were open to the public.

After 16 years as a touring group, The Band decided to retire from touring and live performance. The Band--bass player/singer Rick Danko, drummer/singer Levon Helm, keyboardist/saxophone player Garth Hudson, pianist/singer Richard Manuel, and guitarist Robbie Robertson--elected to play a final farewell concert on [[UsefulNotes/ThanksgivingDay Thanksgiving]] night, November 25, 1976, at the Winterland Ballroom in UsefulNotes/SanFrancisco. This idea then grew to be a bigger show in which The Band would invite as their {{Special Guest}}s other performers whom they regarded as influences, had worked with in the past, or just held in high esteem. They assembled one hell of an AllStarCast to appear onstage: Ronnie Hawkins, Dr. John, Music/MuddyWaters, Music/EricClapton, Music/JoniMitchell, Music/NeilYoung, Music/VanMorrison, Music/BobDylan, Music/NeilDiamond--yup, Neil Diamond--and others, each of whom performed songs of their own with The Band accompanying them.

The result is still regarded as one of the best concert films ever made. It has, however, attracted criticism. Levon Helm, who until his death in 2012 carried on a bitter feud with Robertson about songwriting credits and royalties, stated that it was Robertson himself who unilaterally decided to quit touring. Helm charged that the film was Robertson's attempt to paint himself as the FaceOfTheBand and launch himself into a film career.[[note]]If so this was ironic, as this film launched ''Helm'' to the more successful acting career, including as narrator of ''Film/TheRightStuff'' and a starring role in ''Film/CoalMinersDaughter''[[/note]] Helm also claimed that Robertson, who rarely sang despite writing most of The Band's material due to his poor voice, was singing into a dead microphone on stage.

* [[DidIMentionItsChristmas Did I Mention It's Thanksgiving?]]: The film doesn't really say anything about the concert taking place on (American) Thanksgiving night, but there were full turkey dinners served to the audience before the show. The final piece of music played at the show (after the "Don't Do It" finale) was a Garth Hudson organ solo of "Greensleeves"/"What Child is This?", acknowledging the start of the Christmas season.[[note]]Though this could also be a Trademark of concert promoter Bill Graham, who put together the concert, since when he ran his rock clubs the Filmore, Filmore East, and Winterland, he would always close each show with "Greensleeves" as a signal to the audience it was time to leave.[[/note]]

* MicDrop: Van Morrison does this, dropping his mic and walking off stage before his song, "Caravan", is even over. And given how thoroughly Morrison tore that stage up while delivering a trememdous performance, he was right to do it.

* [[DidIMentionItsChristmas Did I Mention It's Thanksgiving?]]: The film doesn't really say anything about the concert taking place on (American) Thanksgiving night, but there were full turkey dinners served to the audience before the show. The final piece of music played at the show (after the "Don't Do It" finale) was a Garth Hudson organ solo of "Greensleeves"/"What Child is This?", acknowledging the start of the Christmas season.

* GrandFinale: The whole film and concert were supposed to be this. Within the film itself, all the musical guests appear together to close out the show with a group perfomance of "I Shall Be Released".[[note]]At the actual concert, this was followed by a couple jam sessions and then The Band playing "Don't Do It" as their final encore.[[/note]]

* {{Rockumentary}}: Qualifies for this as well as ConcertFilm thanks to the post-concert interview sequences with director Scorsese conducting Q&A with the members of The Band. This is probably the most controversial part of the movie. While Scorsese did conduct interviews with all five members of The Band, Robertson talks more than the rest of them put together, and comes off as the FaceOfTheBand. Scorsese's clueless interviewer performance was an obvious inspiration for Creator/RobReiner's "Marti [=DiBergi=]" character in {{Mockumentary}} ''Film/ThisIsSpinalTap''.