Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour (Taylor’s Version)

Taylor Swift applies her recognizable Taylor’s Version treatment to her concert film, Taylor Swift’s Era Tour, directed by Sam Wrench, by including five songs cut from the theatrical version.

There’s an elegant euphoria as Taylor Swift saunters onto the stage. Her bejewelled costume with matching heeled cowboy boots shimmer and astound as her presence illuminates and glistens throughout the SoFi Stadium in California. With microphone in hand, singing Cruel Summer from the album ‘Lover’, the song becomes the first the pop star covers across the film’s extended three-and-a-half hour runtime.

It is undeniable the captivation that Taylor Swift has over her fans. When the film was released, Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour was to be screened only on 13 October 2023. Yet, as tickets sold out, cinemas kept adding dates to maintain demand. Therefore, what was supposedly a limited edition became a regular mainstay in cinemas across the globe. As its success continued, the movie grossed more than $261 million (£204.88 million) worldwide at the global box and has since become the highest-grossing concert film of all time.

When first seeing the Taylor Swift: Eras Tour in a cinema, there was a sense of camaraderie: a proxy concert for those unable to secure tickets, those who wished to pre-empt their concert going, or for the lucky few, an opportunity to relive their experiences. Attendees shared friendship bracelets in the foyer and amongst their rows, and crucially, people were on their feet singing or dancing to the songs. The confines and the expectations of a traditional cinema experience thrown out the window, becoming a transcendental experience, and one with remnants only seen in cult film audiences like The Room (2003).

Her documentary concert film is a phenomenal piece of cinematic and theatrical work, spanning her discography from her first self-titled album, Taylor Swift (2006), to Midnights (2022); each album becomes an era, with accompanying costumes and staging to match. With nine unique albums, it is a bewildering but astonishing feat how Swift and her extensive company remember every line, every glance to the audience, and every perfected note. To accomplish all this whilst considering the numerous camera movements, angles, and exclusive shimmers to camera for her documentary is a testament to her craft. It is enchanting to watch her perform, and it’s likely that audiences, not presently fans, will be captivated by her stage presence.

Unfortunately, considering the length and scale of the production, there is only one issue made all the more noticeable: its editing. At such an immense length, even without its five additional songs, it would have significantly benefited from an editor who cut the show together by matching the position of Taylor Swift in frame across the various camera angles. Instead, our eye movements replicate a game of tennis, flickering between each side of the frame as though a lyrical rally. Because of this, the longer the concert continues, the more audiences are likely to experience eye strain, headaches or nausea.

Moreover, with the documentary produced by the Swift family, to take control of her cinematic adaptation continues Swift’s constant battle against Scooter Braun and Big Machine Records by rereleasing her music, noticeably different by the inclusion of more songs and a (Taylor’s Version) parathesis. The feminist icon empowers and dominates the stage. She finally has control, and knowing it, now she’s unstoppable.

Taylor Swift is unrefutably the master at what she does. Her music will last evermore, and if her future is as fearless as The Eras Tour, it’ll be a delight to revel in her dedication to her craft for years to come.

Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour (Taylor’s Version) is available to watch exclusively on Disney+ from 15 March 2024.