“Stop Making Sense,” the 1984 film that has become an essential document in the career of the genre-exploding group Talking Heads, as well as one of the most prominent visual statements of the era, is defined by a curious divide. Joined by an ever-expanding backing band, the original four members — David Byrne, Chris Frantz, Tina Weymouth, and Jerry Harrison — were pursuing a live show marked with euphoria and celebration while internal struggles were threatening (and would soon succeed) to tear the group apart.
This split was embedded in the songs themselves. Their best compositions, especially on 1979’s “Fear of Music” and 1980’s “Remain in Light,” are tightly wound and densely packed constructions, built around repetitive loops and Byrne’s distinctive yelp that was incorporating the chanting cadences of a storefront preacher. The lyrics, small cryptic Dada-like poems, were increasingly asking paranoid questions — “What is happening to my skin? Where is that protection that I needed?” Bryne sings on “Air” — about the world that surrounds us. Some of the credit for this work belongs to producer Brian Eno, who over three albums acted less as a collaborator and more as an inspiring presence, helping the band achieve a cohesive and funky sound out of scattered and disparate pieces.
“Stop Making Sense” represents the apex of the band’s sonic journey. The stage show the film captures, part of the tour promoting 1983’s “Speaking in Tongues,” was a complete theatrical experience that incorporated Byrne’s wide-ranging series of visual influences, from strange Americana to Japanese Noh theater, not to mention the extravagant live performances of space-funk pioneers Parliament (three members of the later group would join the Talking Heads on tour and are featured in the film). These visual references were explored previously in “Talking Heads vs. Television,” a rare BBC documentary produced the same year that is more experimental in nature (which you can watch here), and 1986’s “True Stories,” which Byrne wrote, directed, and starred in.
What makes “Stop Making Sense” different from the typical concert film is the direction of Jonathan Demme, who takes an unusual approach to filming the band. The director eliminates the typical crowd reaction shots, focusing on the characters on stage. Each song is a little scene, with Byrne at the center but the other members playing notable supporting roles. A narrative builds throughout the film as the concert progresses.
But in the end, the thrill of watching “Stop Making Sense” is still witnessing a band at the height of its powers, fully in control of a sound that was uniquely theirs. Watching it today, it’s as new as it was 30 years ago, still fascinating and oblique. But as the title suggests, that’s the point.
The 30th anniversary rerelease of “Stop Making Sense” is available digitally now. The film will screen at the Film Society of Lincoln Center as part of its “Sound and Vision” series on August 1, with David Byrne in attendance.
