Footage from a concert that Lou Reed played in Brooklyn in 2006, the first time he had performed the songs from the album Berlin in 33 years.

CRITIQUE

Berlin is a fairly straightforward concert film, focused almost completely on the stage performance of Lou Reed at a December 2006 concert appearance in Brooklyn, during which he played the songs from his 1973 album Berlin for the first time in 33 years.  Ultimately Reed fans will probably love it, but more casual fans will likely only be sporadically-entertained.

As we are told in opening titles, Berlin was a commercial failure when it came out, but has since become one of Reed’s more-respected works; it is a concept album about speed junkies Caroline and Jim, whose life spirals out of control.  The songs really are a bit uneven, particularly early on, but they really kick in around the middle of the film, with some truly-effecting pieces about love and loss along the way, aided by the fact that Reed is performing with an orchestra, a girls’ choir and a lot of talented musicians.

The movie is directed by Reed’s friend Julian Schnabel (The Diving Bell and the Butterfly), who largely keeps the camera on the performers.  There is some footage playing behind the musicians, including some images of Caroline (embodied in the face of French actress Emmanuelle Seigner), but mostly this rises and falls on the songs themselves.  At times they are sharp and pointed; other times they ramble on.

What makes this work to the extent it does is Reed, who commands the screen.  His voice isn’t as sharp as it used to be, but he brings a lifetime of experience (he was 64 at this concert) to the emotions of the piece, and at times he is absolutely riveting.  The result is fairly short, clocking in at over 80 minutes, but there are some interesting things here.

THE VIDEO

Berlin is presented in a matted widescreen.  The picture quality is only okay, though that might have been intentional.

THE AUDIO

Berlin is presented in English 5.1 and Dolby Digital.  It all sounds great.

THE EXTRAS

There is a five-minute excerpt from Spectacle: Elvis Costello With Lou Reed and Julian Schnabel, in which Costello interviews the two men, though it’s mostly Schnabel who talks.

Berlin On Tour is six minutes of footage from Reed’s touring Europe performing the same songs.

FINAL THOUGHTS