Western Stars + recorded Q&A with Bruce Springsteen
classified PGPlease note: This was screened in Oct 2019
In this captivating hybrid of concert documentary and memoir American music legend Bruce Springsteen performs the entirety of his 19th studio album and latest release - Western Stars.
Drawing on the sweetly melancholic pop sounds of artists such as Glen Campbell and Burt Bacharach, Springsteen’s elegiac ode to the American West blends lush orchestration with pared-back emotional tenderness. Resolved that he would not be taking the record on tour, Springsteen, collaborating with co-director Thom Zimny, opted instead to produce this feature-length film as a means of bringing fans the live experience. In the atmospheric surroundings of a majestic old barn, Springsteen (joined by his wife Patti Scialfa, a small orchestra and handful of accompanying musicians) performs his latest record from start to finish, intercut with a series of beautifully-shot vignettes in which he reflects on the songs and ruminates on the loves, challenges and regrets he has faced in his own life.
Visually ravishing and profoundly insightful, the resulting film is a perfect distillation of Springsteen’s rich fusion of musicianship and storytelling, that achieves a level of intimacy rarely captured in live performances.