Pink Floyd At Pompeii pre-dates the release of The Dark Side Of The Moon. The film documents what Pink Floyd did before they became giants of the album charts on both sides of the Atlantic – where their music remains celebrated to this day. Set in the hauntingly beautiful ruins of the ancient Roman Amphitheatre in Pompeii, Italy, this unique and immersive film captures Pink Floyd performing an intimate concert without an audience. Filmed in October 1971, the performance marked the very first live concert to take place at Pompeii, and features the vital ‘Echoes,’ ‘A Saucerful of Secrets,’ and ‘One of These Days.’ The breathtaking visuals of the amphitheatre, captured both day and night, amplify the magic of the performance. Additionally, the film includes rare behind-the-scenes footage of the band beginning work on The Dark Side of the Moon at Abbey Road Studios.

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Video Quality

Pink Floyd: Live At Pompeii comes to Blu-Ray with a stunning transfer that blows any previous release out of the water. Sony presents the film with a miraculous 1080p transfer sourced from a new 4K digital restoration of the 35mm Original Camera Negatives for both the full-length movie and a version to view only the performances. For years, the negative was presumed to be forever missing, but the recent discovery of this lost treasure is a dream for fans.

The level of detail and clarity is exceptional with the appropriate amount of natural film grain intact. The fine grain resolves quite well without ever being clumpy or unsightly. The texture on display in the clothing and within the background landscapes is a revelation. Even facial details like the perspiration of the performers present with impressive clarity. This presentation is authentic to the original look of the film without the added clarity making any visuals feel out of place. The film is essentially free of all dirt and damage, which makes the feature feel like it captured an event you could have attended yesterday. There does not appear to be any jarring digital anomalies such as compression artifacts, banding or any other such nuisances. The film features some nuanced colors within the clothing and the natural world that leap off the screen with a vibrant intensity. The black levels are strong with nothing in the way of crush present, and highlights are solid with no trace of blooming. This presentation is a top-tier effort.

Audio Quality

This Blu-Ray comes with three excellent tracks; first up are new Dolby Atmos and Dolby TrueHD 5.1 tracks remixed by Steve Wilson from the original source material crafted by Charles Rauchet and Peter Watts. The disc also includes the original LPCM 2.0 stereo mix that sounds like a dream. Each track adds its own unique perspective to the experience that provides an expertly designed audio experience. Music is the main purpose of the film, and it comes through in a rich and vibrant manner without any instances of age-related wear and tear or damage.

Many of these songs are performed with a confidence that allows them to sound better than the recorded versions, and this is showcased perfectly here as the music saturates the room. The filmmakers do a fine job of capturing the behind-the-scenes interview portions and making sure all of the exchanges come through with the utmost clarity. Ambient sounds are precisely deployed in the appropriate channels. The addition of the height channels in the Atmos mix expands things out for an all-encompassing journey. These audio tracks are working on many different levels with disparate elements that come together to create something quite magical. Optional Brazilian Portuguese, Castilian Spanish, Dutch, French, German, Italian, and Latin American Spanish subtitles are provided.

Special Features

Feature Film (1:25:01) and Concert (1:02:48) Viewing Options

Booklet: A multi-page booklet with release credits and archival photos is provided.

Final Thoughts

Pink Floyd: Live At Pompeii is one of the most stirring performances from one of the greatest bands of all time. While the focus of the experience is the great music, the behind-the-scenes footage gives you some insights into the personalities of the band members. The command of the camera is incredible as it captures some indelible imagery. It does not get much better than this. Sony has delivered a new Blu-Ray that offers a 5-star A/V presentation, making this a vital purchase for fans of the band. Essential

Pink Floyd: Live At Pompeii is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the 4K UHD Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Sony Music Vision has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.