Content warning/Editors note: this review will feature spoilers for “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour.”
After the conclusion of “The Eras Tour’s” first North American leg, the concert experience didn’t stop there. On Oct. 4, Taylor Swift announced “The Eras Tour” movie, two hours and forty-five minutes of musical numbers and dialogue from the performance.
The cinematography in “The Eras Tour” film is direct footage of Swift performing over three nights at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. The camera shots in the movie include various different settings, like close-ups of Swift and her supporting dancers and flashes of people in the crowd, showing their excitement for the show by singing and dancing with Swift.
Although every era was included in the film, some of the more popular, well-known songs were cut from the film set list. This includes “cardigan,” “no Body, no Crime,” “Long Live,” “The Archer,” and “tis the damn season.” Cutting out popular songs that engage the audience well was a bold stylistic choice made by Swift and her production team, but the choice did not make the film less enjoyable.
Unlike other tour films featured in theaters, the audience is meant to sing and dance in the theaters, making the atmosphere resemble going to the actual concert. Swift shared her ideal theater experience for fans via an Instagram story that read, “Eras attire, friendship bracelets, singing and dancing encouraged.” (@taylorswift)
To add onto the hype for the film, AMC Theaters released a limited edition reusable popcorn bucket and a cup with The Eras Tour design displayed on it. These items are only being sold at AMC Theaters and on their website. The merchandise made specifically for the film is already sold out everywhere.
For the fans that have already gone to the Eras tour, the movie is nowhere near boring, but be prepared to not see anything new. One thing that was disappointing was the lack of behind-the-scenes footage. The Eras Tour was an extremely complex performance with original choreography, technology and visual art. Seeing how each of the elements were set up and put together, such as the stage, would’ve added onto the overall experience and made the film more interesting to watch.
“Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour” is a visual representation of community and the support of one another. Watching the film with a group of people who share the same love for a music artist is an experience that isn’t a common occurrence, but with a mainstream artist like Swift, making a film for the people who couldn’t get tickets for her tour continues to reach audiences around the world, further touching the lives of millions.
