Taylor Swift has taken the world by storm with her extremely popular tour, the Eras Tour. Her concert film has possibly reinvented the distribution of films. Swift decided to cut out the studios, going directly to AMC to distribute the film- something that angered the Hollywood elite but was applauded by many for supporting theaters and AMC.
When the movie was announced I was excited, but part of me wished that it was a behind-the-scenes documentary of the record-breaking tour. Having already been to a show at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, I thought of the movie as a chance to get a different view of the stage and dancers, but not necessarily an opportunity to relive the experience.
I certainly did get to see a lot more of the stage production and smaller details that I didn’t get from the floor level in person. However, I did not expect to feel like I was back in the stadium singing along to Swift.
Not only did the theater sound system and big screen feel extremely immersive, but so did the crowd. The people attending the movie were all dressed up from different eras or merch. The kindness and excitement from the people who I got into conversations with was like I was back in the big stadium. The gift of a few friendship bracelets and compliments from fellow Swifties added to this surreal experience.
One large question I held when buying my ticket: what was the etiquette? Should we stand? Sing?
I got the answers to some of these on social media after one day in theaters. Some were nightmarish, with movie-goers bowing and doing the choreography with Swift and her dancers down at the front of the theater, others enthusiastic but respectful. I couldn’t help but hope for a theater that sat down and sang along without disrupting the experience of others and I noticed many others on social media shared this sentiment.
Fortunately, the few groups who wanted to dance and stand purposefully booked seats in the very last row of the theater so they didn’t block anybody’s view. I applauded them for their respectful nature as well as the impressive outfits they wore.
Besides the few dads who were unwilling dragged along with their young daughters, the entire theater had amazing energy and did all the chants and small things perfectly- minus a girl who unfortunately mistimed the “Delicate” chant.
The camera work in the film is amazing. Especially during the “Reputation” era of the concert, the movement and dynamic angles made it super fun and interesting to watch. The film made sure to show the audience and left in long stretches of applause to immerse the audience into the crowd.
I must also mention the animated transitions from era to era that revealed the next album. My personal favorite was the beginning of the “Red” era where balloons seemed to be released by the crowd, forming the word of her hit album.
I was mildly disappointed in the songs she decided to cut from the film. “The Archer” is one of my personal favorite songs from the Lover era, and singing two out of three of the songs from the Folklore love triangle, and then cutting the third- “Cardigan”- was upsetting.
With the removal of these songs, I would have hoped to watch surprise songs from other dates instead of just the two from the closing night of the US leg in Los Angeles. If the recent renaissance around Swift has shown anything, it is that Swifties would have watched all three and a half hours that her concert normally was- myself included.
I walked out of the theater with my themed popcorn bucket and drink cup (both of which were rather overpriced at $27 total), a lost voice, and a lot of new friendship bracelets. The experience of watching the Eras Tour in the theater could set a new precedent for concert films and documentaries, as well as initiate an entirely new group of movie-goers. The experience is an amazing opportunity for those who did not get to attend the tour, as well as those who want to relive it. From the film itself to the environment of people, the Eras Tour film was a movie experience far from the usual
