To the millions of Swifties around the world who may never watch Taylor Swift perform live on stage, ever, her concert film Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour is pretty much the best they can get. Short of breathing the same air that the superstar breathes, it offers nearly the same experience at a minuscule fraction of ticket prices of Swift’s sixth concert tour, described by the megastar herself as a journey through all her eras.
In the film, Swift takes viewers through her album eras during her tour’s stop at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, California. It begins like the concert, with a countdown clock that transforms into an introductory sequence celebrating each era. Shot over three nights at the SoFi Stadium filled with 70,000 fans, Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour comprises, in Swift’s words, “17 years of music, one era at a time”. Each ‘era’ is presented as its own epoch with different staging, moods and costumes.
The songs follow the setlist of the live show with only one or two tracks from each era excluded, probably for the sake of time. The songs included in the concert film have the American superstar summoning every mood and emotion and are a tribute to her powerful writing skills. Songs like Cruel Summer and All Too Well (10 Minute Version) are as compelling as they come. Betty is a vivid break-up ballad. Champagne Problems is an intimate experience that casts a spell on the audience. You Need to Calm Down and Blank Space are typically robust and energetic pieces that made the audience go wild. The surprise songs that Taylor performed each night were also included and it is only appropriate that Our Song and You’re On Your Own, Kid, one from her very first album and the other from her most recent, made it to the concert film. The songs, which call out against patriarchy and inspire young girls to believe in themselves, be unapologetic and proud of who they are, make it clear once again why Taylor has become a global phenomenon and inspires and excites a whole generation of young people worldwide.
Director Sam Wrench has captured the stagecraft of the performance in spectacular style. From eye-catching drone shots and several angles on background singers and dancers, theatre-goers are definitely given a much better view of the action than what most concert-goers got. Besides being able to see her glittery eye make-up and spot the meaningful wink and rolling of the eyes on occasion, the film also makes it possible for fans to see her magnificent costumes in detail. Swift’s outfits reflect the personality of each song, album and era. She transitions from a rebellious look in Reputation to a witchy, folk look in Folklore and Evermore, and then to a sparkly, fun look in her Midnights set.
Fans can also see the singer’s most viral moments up close, such as her placing her ‘22’ hat on late American basketball star Kobe Bryant’s little daughter, Bianka. Besides the transitions from era to era and song to song that pop up on screen, Wrench also offers contrasting close-ups of Swift with overhead shots of the packed stadium. The stunning snake imagery at the start of the Reputation era and the breathtaking view of Taylor diving into a pool in the middle of the stage at the beginning of the Midnights era, are ‘lit’ moments (to borrow a term from GenZ). Backup dancers and background vocalists are allowed to share the spotlight with the star who brings them all out for the curtain call and applause at the end. Fans both on screen and in the theatre, chanting, cheering and singing along with the star add to the concert experience.
Perhaps this was the only theatre experience where one didn’t mind those in the rows directly ahead of them standing up and screaming out the lyrics even as the star performed them. Or peering through them and craning one’s neck to get a view of the screen. It was a sheer delight to watch frenzied youngsters jumping up and down, hugging one another and matching their hero’s every move and gesture, as they screamed out the lyrics along with her as a kind of validation of themselves, the songs and all that they stood for. And one certainly didn’t want to spoil their party.
This film is as much about her fans as it is about Taylor herself. Not only does her performance make it clear that she is enjoying herself performing for her fans, but when she speaks to the audience between numbers, explaining inspirations and influences, her words ring sincere, real and true, with an unmatched intimacy that makes her fans relate to her and makes her appeal so universal and inclusive. Showcasing and celebrating 17 years of Swift’s outstanding creativity, her thoughtful song-writing, her hard work and last, but not least, her willingness to go the extra mile for the fans, the film has the star sign off in the end credits with a heartfelt “because of you and for you” that had young girls screaming and sobbing for joy as they refused to leave the auditorium.
Watching the film surrounded by a young, diverse, cosmopolitan crowd of high-school and college kids, who behaved every bit as though they were watching Taylor Swift perform live, the mutual love, adoration and adulation between her and her fans made middle-aged (read almost superannuated) reviewers like me long to be young once again and be a proud Swiftie like everyone else at the theatre.
Which is your favourite era of Taylor Swift’s career? Tell t2@abp.in
