Four out of
Five stars
Running time:
119 mins
A must-see for Queen fans, this is an exhilarating concert
film/documentary that demonstrates exactly why Queen were one of the
world's greatest rock bands.
What's it all about?
Directed by Janos Zsombolyai (for Hungarian state film, in 1986),
Hungarian Rhapsody: Queen Live in Budapest '86 is a concert film
documenting iconic rock band Queen (lead singer Freddie Mercury, guitarist
Brian May, bassist John Deacon, drummer Roger Taylor) as they play their
first concert behind the Iron Curtain, to a crowd of 80,000 (including
fans from all over the Eastern Bloc) at Budapest's Népstadion.
The concert includes terrific performances of several of their hits and,
randomly, a cover version of Tutti Frutti. The concert footage is
interspersed with clips of the band members doing things in Budapest, so
you get Freddie shopping for antiques, Roger Taylor going go-karting,
Brian May taking a trip in a hot-air balloon and John Deacon having an
amusing chat with a young British girl (here's hoping she sees this
film).
The film is also preceded by A Magic Year, a 30 minute documentary (also
made in the 1980s) that follows the band during the 12 months following
their triumphant performance at Live Aid in July 1985. This includes brief
interviews with each of the band members as they record albums, work on
the soundtrack and a music video for Highlander (there's a great bit where
Christopher Lambert appears to walk off the film and join the band on
stage) and perform in a number of other concerts; there's also some
illuminating backstage footage from the Hungarian concert.
The Good
If you're a Queen fan, this is something of a must-see (in fact, you can
go ahead and add an extra star), but even if you're not, this is still a
terrifically entertaining concert movie that showcases the band at the
peak of their success. Mercury, in particular, is an electric presence on
stage (it's fair to say the film slows down a little when it's time for
Brian May's solo bits), stripping off, strutting about, wearing a crown
and basically having the audience eat out of the palm of his hand – he
even learns a Hungarian folk song and gets the crowd to sing along with
him.
The Great
The documentary is fascinating, as each band member (none of whom sound
the way you'd expect) speaks revealingly about their role within the band
and how they feel about the band's current status (Deacon half-jokingly
refers to a rivalry with Dire Straits). Needless to say, there's also a
certain amount of hindsight-related sadness, particularly when Mercury
tells a Hungarian interviewer, “If I'm still alive, we'll come back and
play again”.
Worth seeing?
Hungarian Rhapsody: Queen Live in Budapest '86 is a terrific concert
film/documentary that should appeal to both fans and, well, people that
don't own Queen albums alike. Hopefully, enterprising cinemas will put on
sing-a-longa screenings, since you'll find yourself singing along anyway.
Highly recommended.