Queen is an undisputedly special band and one of the best ever. Most music legends have periods when they are at their best but Queen falls into a category of musicians who have had several good times over the years. One such moment that has defined their career was the Montreal show in 1981.
Freddie Mercury, Brian may, Roger Taylor and John Deacon were all members of Queen who by 1981 were already having a series of successful albums and were immortalized as musical deities. Having toured extensively for two years, they came back home before performing in Canada just twice. During their introduction at the press screening, Brian May made it clear that Queen was not very happy about going on tour again. The band was forced to return earlier than anticipated after an extended tour that ended as late as November ‘81 which caused them all to be somewhat sour with such a late booking says May (Gilmour & Fricke). Nonetheless, this marked the beginning of one great moments for them with energy and attitude that would become legendary for both the band and their music.
In Montreal, Queen performed two consecutive nights which saw Saul Swimmer direct. While making this movie, he had great plans about its future direction which becomes evident during its watching since his crew was far ahead of time too in terms modernization and innovation (Gilmour & Fricke). Originally referred to as ‘Queen Rock Montreal,’ it was then planned to be seen by fans across different countries when they projected it onto large outdoor screens so fans could feel like they were watching from a festival ground while providing an audience with almost real experience similar to attending live concerts where huge numbers gather around big screens to watch their favorite bands play. Overall, this film is a masterstroke that never fails to capture the essence of every musician.
Firstly, and most importantly, it perfectly captures the magic and energy of every single member of the band. ‘Queen Rock Montreal’ is remarkable in that this performance was just the four band members performing with no supporting artists/musicians on stage (as would usually happen with big scale concerts). So this film really showcases why Queen were so powerful as a 4-piece band, and gives us a fascinating, up-close look at the geniuses of Freddie Mercury, Brian May, Roger Taylor and John Deacon (who were all masters of their craft by 1981).
The commitment to go so far as to capture the film in such careful detail may have slipped by unheeded then but Saul Swimmer’s ambitious design for the film has been finally realized. Unfortunately, he died in 2007, though ultimately his attempt to encapsulate the spirit of this band was successful an uphill task that became harder because of the big format cameras employed and having a camera crew onstage trying not to obstruct a super active band that always fills up its stage. ‘Queen Rock Montreal’ is brilliant technical tour de force light years ahead of its time that drops you right into the middle of the crowd. The film begins from about halfway through on ground level facing towards stage, with Queen appearing suddenly amidst lights and noise.
And then there are the members themselves. This is very much a greatest hits concert from Queen, but they are such an iconic outfit with so many amazing songs that they could have easily played a whole other concert of greatest hits only made up of tracks post 1981, and you’d still think it was a definitive collection. That’s how many outstanding songs the band have, and why they will be legends for eternity. Their back-catalogue is stunning, with ‘Queen Rock Montreal’ featuring 24 outstanding songs including ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’, ‘Another One Bites the Dust’, ‘Under Pressure’, ‘Somebody To Love’, ‘We Will Rock You’ and ‘We Are The Champions’ to name but a few.
Those who follow my blog would know how much I love going to IMAX theaters. As far as cinemas are concerned, none can compare with IMAX hence it offers moviegoers absolute immersion when enjoying movies on huge screens. Having been digitally remastered for the first time ever as well as adapted into The IMAX Experience’s picture quality and sound clarity makes “Queen Rock Montreal” become visually impeccable as it contains crystal clear images of both front row’s band and backstage. The camera on the other hand focuses on the genius of Freddie Mercury at work who clearly shows how he can control a crowd intimately, proving once again why he remains one of the greatest frontmen of all time. Brian May gives electric performances that are just incredible to see whilst Rob Deacon’s iconic basslines reverberate across his audience and Roger Taylor’s drums full of boundless energy and verve rise into a higher plane.
In short, ‘Queen Rock Montreal in IMAX’ is probably among the best live concert films ever made it is that amazing. It also places you firmly in the audience but unlike a lot of modern concert films which I feel always focus far too much on the crowd, ‘Queen Rock Montreal’ makes sure that the band are the main attraction, letting their magic shine onscreen. This is just an unmissable event for true rock fans.
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