Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars: The Movie (1973)

As a Bowie fan I found this 89 minute film rather enjoyable. However, as a student of cinema I must admit that the experience is marred by some pretty major flaws. If you're unaware, this movie is a live concert. Now, I'm sure we've all seen concerts on TV or DVD and pretty much know what to expect. And that's the problem, as Ziggy's effort falls short of even average. I'm not sure if the technology wasn't up to snuff back in 1973 or it was too expensive for this production. The stage music is very good. David Bowie's vocals are clear and the band's music is very well recorded, especially Mick Ronson's guitar efforts. However, for being a live concert the crowd is noticeably absent from the audio mix. Sure, they'll pop in once in a while, but live acts should have crowd noise, right? If they don't than they're just bad studio mixes. The camera technology is pretty meager as well. Colors are constantly over saturated and grainy. And I found myself wondering why we were constantly lookikng at black screens when I realized that they were trying to depict the audience but there wasn't enough light to register them. Oh well. If you like David Bowie than this is a fun era piece showcasing our favorite glam rocker. If you enjoy concert movies you'll be disappointed. And if you don't enjoy either than steer clear altogether.

Grade = C-