Are U2 bigger than Jesus? If Bono wasn’t the staunch catholic he says he is (he is, right? I don’t bother to research) then I bet he wouldn’t mind snagging that holy crown. The massive lighting rig, the pyrotechnics, the hordes of followers; it’s the second coming for sure.
It’s not hard to see why U2 have become the biggest band in the world. It’s a combination of the simple melodies and the lyrics about painful history (Sunday Bloody Sunday, Where the Streets Have No Name) that have provided them with an inflated sense of social responsibility. Mathematically, there’s a correlation between U2 record sales and how much of a twat Bono becomes.
He does himself no favours here in this concert film (captured in Buenos Aires on the South American leg of their Vertigo world tour) as he a) pretends to be a blind leper stumbling around the stage; b) hugs Adam Clayton’s leg; c) provides plenty of flowery hand gestures. His lack of banter with the audience (aside from a final “Goodnight, we’ll never forget this”) is what makes this concert ultimately lacking in intimacy.
To some extent the 3D compensates for this distance by getting us so close to the faces of the ageing band that we can see them in a less than flattering light. The Edge may have covered up his bald dome with an haute fashion beanie, but the face – dahling – it never lies. Adam Clayton looks a bit silly with his low-slung bass and at times he and the Edge do a bit of pelvic thrusting which does nothing for one’s nerves.
But again, that 3D effect is utterly fantastic. Combine the massive three dimensional picture (IMAX 3-D is the best way to see this) with the booming soundtrack and you’ve got an experience that, aside from not being live, is almost better than going to a real U2 concert.
National Geographic, who are behind this enterprise, capture the show from many angles. The editing fades between different cameras to provide an easy way to keep one’s sense of the space. Other effects include words flashing across the screen (so close, you can almost touch them) and, on occasion, a girl sitting on the shoulders of the guy in front of you.
Suffice it to say, this is the best example of live action 3D I have ever seen. U2 fans will love it. But it will also appeal to anyone interested in the future of cinematic experience. If you ever wanted to know what it’s like to have Bono reaching out towards you, almost caressing you with his sleek hands, screaming ‘In the name of love’ in your face, then you won’t want to miss U2 3D.
