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It could easily be called unfair to even count a film like this at the end of the year when awards season comes. For some, this was going to automatically become their best movie of the year the moment it was announced. But, even for those unconvinced or unconverted, let’s make one thing astronomically clear: “The Eras Tour”, separate from Taylor Swift’s reputation and music, is an astounding feat of concert filmmaking and technical wizardry.
Filmed over three nights at SoFi Stadium during Swift’s Eras Tour, the film showcases the nearly three-hour concert-slash-victory lap through the artist’s career with only minor variations and cuts from the actual live performance. The concept of the Eras Tour itself is a stroke of both marketing and artistic genius: instead of limiting herself to doing a tour of her most recent album, Swift decided to do a worldwide tour where she played select tracks from her entire discography.
It's a genius move, because not only does it allow old fans to revel in the tracks that they grew up listening to, but new fans who might have only started listening to Taylor’s works post 1989 or Reputation to get a good sense of her earlier works. It’s a kind of celebration, the likes of which has only really been attempted on this scale with “Avengers: Endgame.”
So, yes, the concert film is essentially just the concert, but there’s far more at play here. Filmed over those three nights, director Sam Wrench (“BTS: Permission to Dance on Stage - LA,” “Billie Eilish: Live at the O2”) takes his years of experience making these kinds of films to craft a technically impressive feat. The angles and shots used seem virtually impossible to get given the context of this all being shot during a live concert. It’s not the same as a filmed stage musical, where the audience isn’t there and the cameras can walk right up on stage. It’s the kind of production where you’re both marveling at the stage craft of the actual performance and also wondering “how the hell did they get that shot?”
Swift’s music at this point needs no introduction, but the film proves to ride the perfect line between being for the fans and also a great introduction point. That seems silly to say about a 169-minute-long film, but it sheds the pretense of “skipping the song” on the car radio. It also is more visually stimulating than just listening to the songs given the physical accompaniment via the stage presence and performances.
And what performances they are. From a cabin in the woods, to a sleepy midnight sky, to a burning house, no expense has been spared in crafting some fantastical looking sets on this massive stage. It’s a perfect mixture of digital screens, lights, and physical sets, with each one working in perfect choreography to bring the songs to life. There are so many moments where the film gets the perfect shot or angle for a specific moment it, again, brings to mind the question of “how the hell did they get that shot” and also “how long did it take them to practice this?”
For as big and bombastic as it all can be, there’s still the authenticity at the center of Swift herself that brings it all home. Despite the screams of literally thousands of fans, you can see the excitement on her face to do these moves, perform these songs, and celebrate her work with her fans. The acoustic section displays this the best of all, where Swift just takes a guitar and strums along, singing with the entire stadium.
When the credits roll, the first thing you see is a friendship bracelet. Something that came about naturally through the audience, not Swift herself. There’s no better representation of the film and the tour than that. It’s been a success because of the fans who’ve embraced Swift and her works and something like this is for them all: for the people who can afford the concert tickets and those who can’t and even for those who’re hearing most all of the songs for the first time. It’s a dazzlingly shot and technically impressive celebration, but not for Swift. For the fans. 5/5
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