tour.jpg?quality=80″ />
One of the most revealing sequences in Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé features writer/director/artist Beyoncé telling people they're wrong. In a series of behind-the-scenes clips from the tour, we see the icon chat with a group of anonymous support staff as he offers notes on their work — things he wants to tweak, things he thinks could be improved. She is not bad, but she is firm, because she knows exactly what she wants.
At one point in that montage, she tells someone that a certain type of fisheye lens she was told didn't exist does there is — looked for it. Later in the film, we see this fisheye lens in action and it's clear why Beyoncé wanted to capture more of the scene, including the support monitors – the effect created on screen is dazzling, a trio of Beyoncé coming towards the camera, larger than life, with full command.
It is only one of its many elements Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé which contribute to an impressive self-portrait of one author, a working artist at the top of her game. While, yes, Taylor Swift's concert film hit theaters first this year, this film turned out to be much more of a straight-up documentary of The Eras tour, as experienced by fans in the audience. Beyoncé, meanwhile, is using this as an opportunity to not just give audiences a taste of what she missed out on by not making it to a stage in 2023, but to create a portrait of who she is right now. In some places it is confessional, in others enlightening. And always, always, always good.
The balance between documentary and actual concert footage feels pretty close to fifty-fifty, and the documentary segments, as compelling as they are, don't detract from any authentic booty. (There were definitely heads bobbing and little boots shaking in the seats at AMC Thursday night, though very few people got up and danced in my theater.)
Instead of bowing to the illusion that the footage we see was shot in just one night, Bey embraces the artifice, using footage from multiple performances to create a unique experience. You know a lot of takes are used because the costumes Beyoncé and the dancers wear change from shot to shot. the editing used to put these moments together is almost flawless. It also makes it nearly impossible to count how many different costumes are on screen, especially since you're distracted by the dancing that's on display.
Yes, it's not quite the same as being there in person, but up close you can't see the letters written on the bottom of her nails. And the sections where the music takes center stage deliver the giddy joy you'd hope for — a stellar early run, with Renaissance tracks like “Cuff It” and “Energy” are just an appetizer for a later section showcasing the dancehall culture that was such an inspiration for the album. (JOY issued a statement Friday morning praising the film as “furthering Beyoncé's commitment to use her global platform to highlight, highlight and pay tribute to the black LGBTQ community”.)
