The Last Waltz

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The Last Waltz

PG

Released Dec 31, 1978

1h 57m

Documentary

Music

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

98%

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58 Reviews

94%

Popcornmeter

10,000+ Ratings

Seventeen years after joining forces as the backing band for rockabilly cult hero Ronnie Hawkins, Canadian roots rockers The Band call it quits with a lavish farewell show at San Francisco's Winterland Ballroom on Nov. 25, 1976. Filmed by Martin Scorsese, this documentary features standout performances by rock legends such as Bob Dylan, Van Morrison, Eric Clapton, Joni Mitchell and Muddy Waters, as well as interviews tracing the group's history and discussing road life.

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Critics Consensus

Among one of, if not the best rock movie ever made, The Last Waltz is a revealing, electrifying view of the classic band at their height.

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Pauline Kael

The New Yorker

No American movie this year has been as full of the “joy of making cinema” as Martin Scorsese’s The Last Waltz.

Sep 18, 2023

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Jake Cole

Slant Magazine

Martin Scorseses radical advancement of the concert documentary receives a superlative transfer that reaffirms the film as one of the directors great aesthetic achievements.

Mar 28, 2022

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Richard Combs

Sight & Sound

At its best the style of The Last Waltz, at once kaleidoscopic and concentrated, discursive and fixated, distils more about its subject and its times (and about its maker and his obsessions) than the impressionism of cinema verite.

Mar 31, 2020

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David Parkinson

Radio Times

Not only an unmissable slice of nostalgia, but also a masterpiece of pop cinema.

Rated: 5/5

Aug 8, 2024

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M.V. Moorhead

Phoenix Magazine

It’s the only serious competition to Jonathan Demme’s 1984 Stop Making Sense as the greatest rock concert movie ever.

Nov 7, 2023

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Josh Larsen

LarsenOnFilm

...has a time-capsule quality that’s off the charts.

Rated: 3/4

Sep 20, 2023

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Lionel H

If your end of 70s music it's best movies of all time the interviews are hilarious and the music is just top notch. All the Guest musicians were great a must watch for music fans.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/25/25

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Dave S

Having seen Martin Scorsese’s The Last Waltz countless times since its release back in the late ‘70s, I’m comfortable in saying that this is one of the greatest concert films ever produced, thanks primarily to the striking visuals, the pristine sound, and, most importantly, some truly outstanding performances. Documenting The Band’s farewell performance, it is filled with the joy that great live music generates. The highlights are endless – Robbie Robertson picking up Eric Clapton’s solo after Clapton’s guitar strap breaks, a stellar performance of The Weight with the help of The Staple Singers, Ronnie Hawkins’ contagious enthusiasm, and Bob Dylan actually cracking a smile…twice. The only possible beef would be the glut of interviews that disrupt the flow of the concert, but who am I to question Martin Scorsese?

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

07/25/25

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Levon H

The combination of shagginess and directorial fussbudgetry that marks the final product also functions as a reminder that Scorsese often does his best work while shaping discord into the type of art that retains distinct traces of that turmoil

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/24/25

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Steven M

The music is great! The full package of this film, made a few years ago, with added footage and commentary, is a delight. It’s a shame that all of the original members of The Band are no longer with us.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

05/24/25

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Daniel J

What can I say? A classic movie concert. Only if you like the music, of course

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

05/20/25

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Miles O

The absolute best music documentary I've seen to date. An absolute must watch 👏

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/23/25

Full Review

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Martin Scorsese

Director

Robbie Robertson

Self

Ringo Starr

Self

Muddy Waters

Self

Ron Wood

Self

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Synopsis

Seventeen years after joining forces as the backing band for rockabilly cult hero Ronnie Hawkins, Canadian roots rockers The Band call it quits with a lavish farewell show at San Francisco's Winterland Ballroom on Nov. 25, 1976. Filmed by Martin Scorsese, this documentary features standout performances by rock legends such as Bob Dylan, Van Morrison, Eric Clapton, Joni Mitchell and Muddy Waters, as well as interviews tracing the group's history and discussing road life.

Director: Martin Scorsese
Producer: Robbie Robertson
Distributor: United Artists
Production Co: Last Waltz Inc.
Rating: PG
Genre: Documentary, Music
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 31, 1978, Wide
Rerelease Date (Theaters): Apr 5, 2002
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 18, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA): $322.0K
Runtime: 1h 57m
Sound Mix: Surround, Dolby Stereo
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)

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