The crunch of popcorn and slurp of soda are not the usual sounds I associate with Taylor Swift, but this past weekend, with the release of the Era’s Tour Movie, swifties took to the theaters.
“Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour” came out this past Friday, and it didn’t come quietly. Thousands of fans brought the opening weekend box office to $92.8 million, making the film the second-highest-grossed film in October. Swift’s movie takes viewers through the many “eras” of her career in music, from her country albums to her transformation into a pop phenomenon. The movie shows the concert as it was performed in a setlist format going one era at a time.
I was able to see the movie in iMax, and I recommend it to anyone able. The immersive experience made me feel like I was up on the stage with Swift, rather than in a crowded movie theater miles away from California, where it was filmed.
Audience members were on their feet, jumping, dancing and screaming the lyrics to her songs, and didn’t return to their seats for most of the movie. A part of what made watching this film so engaging was seeing the faces of young girls filled with admiration for Swift was a highlight in itself.
Ticket sales for Swifts’ tour were competitive and pricey, and I, along with many others, was unable to attend. Turning the concert into a movie was able to directly combat this issue, as attending the movie felt just as if I was walking into a stadium. Fans were dressed in their favorite eras, trading friendship bracelets and dancing in the theater, making it unlike any movie I’ve ever experienced.
A difference that many fans noticed was songs from the setlist that didn’t make it to the big screen. Songs like “Long Live,” “The Archer,” “Cardigan” and “No Body, No Crime” were not featured in the film, which I found disappointing as they are some of my favorite songs.
The movie’s shots portrayed the atmosphere around each era perfectly, with her iconic “Fearless” guitar, a moss-covered piano for “Evermore” and stage graphics that indicated fractures in her self-image during the “Reputation” era.
One critique is the amount of time the film dedicated to audience applause. There were many moments when a song ended and Swift was standing and posing, with the stadium clapping for her. It was slightly awkward and disrupted the flow of the movie by having extended shots of Swift hearing her own applause. It felt too forced and extra.
While many believe the purpose of “Taylor Swift: The Era’s Tour” was just for fans who did not get tickets to see what one of Swift’s performances was like, it was much more than that. The reality is that fans were hoping to be immersed in Swift’s more than 17-year-long music-making career, and the movie fulfilled this wish. I, along with other fans, felt the emotional intensity in “Red,” the tranquility of “Folklore” and the magical qualities of “Speak Now.”
The movie was an innovative way to bring Swift’s smashing success of a tour to those who were not able to attend. The visuals alone are breathtaking, even to those who aren’t Swift’s biggest fans. The best part of any experience is what you make of it, and Swift along with her fans truly made this a good one. I highly recommend putting on some sparkly cowboy boots, swapping some friendship bracelets and heading over to your nearest theater to experience the tour that sold out in minutes from a comfortable movie theater seat.
