Recently, I attended a screening of the new Taylor Swift: Eras Tour movie at the Odeon Cinema in Durham, and was simply left speechless. I was never a devoted fan of Swift’s or even regularly listened to her music, but I can safely say that this cinema experience opened my eyes to the appeal surrounding Taylor Swift, transforming me into a fully-fledged fan of the singer. Let me explain…
I went into this experience blind, unaware whether I’d enjoy humming along to some popular tunes or if I’d be incredibly bored after a few familiar songs – and considering the film’s runtime was set to be 2 hours and 50 minutes, I was inclined to expect the latter. Nevertheless, I was intrigued to give the movie a shot, and I’m sure glad I did.
Despite not being a hardcore fan of Swift’s, I was not immune to her hype, and definitely would have liked to attend a concert of hers on the Eras Tour. Unfortunately, a vast majority of fans will not have this opportunity due to the mania that surrounds the singer, making it almost impossible to secure concert tickets. Therefore, if you are not willing to devote hours of your time waiting on Ticketmaster, to later spend a large portion of your life savings on general standing tickets, I’d say you have a pretty low chance of seeing her live in concert. However, don’t fear, as the Eras Tour movie may be the best alternative I could imagine, allowing you to experience the full-length concert with near-perfect audio and visuals. This film allows you to have the ultimate concert experience, with unobstructed views at all times and without the pushing and yelling of other concert-goers you’d otherwise have to deal with.
The content of the film is gripping and at all times exciting, keeping the viewer interested by all means. Swift ranges through her previous albums, performing multiple songs from each, some of which you are guaranteed to recognise and sing along with. Swift’s stage presence is dazzling as well, as she captivates the audience through fun and engaging performances, dance sequences, and occasional witty conversation during song transitions. The singer lets each viewer embark on a journey throughout her musical career, immersing each audience member into an adrenaline-filled and euphoric atmosphere. Not only is the singing quality phenomenal, but the choreography, graphics and stage set design contributes to an overall creative masterpiece.
If you have not already gone to see the Eras Tour movie in cinemas yet, I highly recommend it. It is highly likely that you will find yourself with a big smile plastered upon your face constantly without realising it, which may be the biggest joy of this collaboration of cinema and music.
Image: Stephen Mease on Unsplash