The West Bend Current

By Noah Mintie, Current Staff

Is it odd that the most polite, considerate and appropriately lively crowd I’ve ever shared a theater with also happens to be the crowd that danced throughout the duration of a film?

That would be because they were upholding a Milwaukee Film tradition: dancing to their favorite songs in Jonathan Demme’s Talking Heads concert film “Stop Making Sense” (1984). Whether they copied the moves on screen, added some of their own or even sprinted a massive circle around the hallowed Oriental Theatre, everyone seemed to have an incredibly deep connection to the film.

The reason for this connection is not just because they like the Talking Heads, as I believe that no matter how you feel about the band before watching, you will become a fan afterwards. This is because this film is so unique that it is basically unforgettable. A typical concert film is merely a recording of a concert, maybe flipping between a few cameras, but mostly just being an alternative to the actual concert. “Stop Making Sense” is anything but typical, and actually being present at the concert is not necessarily superior to being right there.

This is due to the rhythm that the camera itself has. Lively songs get fast cuts to direct the viewer’s focus on the several instruments that keep the beat aflow, creating a sense of energy with the audience. On the flip side, gentle songs flow from shot to shot at a slower pace, always with one focus. “Stop Making Sense” caters the camera to be perfectly tailored to each song’s needs, ensuring maximum connection with every song.

This alone does not guarantee that a concert film is as iconic as the one in question, which is why “Stop Making Sense” also stakes its claim in cinema history by being unique, or sometimes just straight-up weird. I’d be a fool to spoil the experience, but any viewers familiar with the film need only hear the words “screens” or “lamp” in this context to immediately get the point. There are many bizarre sets, dances and moments that live rent-free in one’s head, never to be seen again in any other place. Their uniqueness is not just memorable because they aren’t common elsewhere, but also because they, by nature, are such perfect fits for the songs in question that they not only don’t, but also could never be, properly used elsewhere.

“Stop Making Sense” blends high-quality craft and uniqueness so well that it has earned its place in the history of cinema as a whole. So many people love this movie so very much that it is unsurprising that Milwaukee Film has such a connection to it. Few concert films have achieved its status, and frankly, few movies have such cult followings as well. Who’d have thought that a film about a guy in a giant suit singing his heart out would join the ranks of “The Princess Bride” or any other film with a dedicated fanbase?

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Four theaters, one city and hundreds of films: the true ingredients needed to make magic. The Milwaukee Film Festival is a beloved local event and the 2024 edition wrapped April 25. I saw six fantastic movies this year. Each was stylistically, tonally and visually different from the last, so I will offer a focused analysis of each film’s unique strengths in a series of reviews.

(Image courtesy of Milwaukee Film.)