They had booked for a long time, and for them, it was a bit of a big night. Friday, from 18 p.m. in some theaters, 20 p.m. for others, the many fans of the singer jostled at the doors of the 144 theaters in France - and 8500 worldwide - which programmed "Taylor Swift - The Eras Tour". A documentary about the 33-year-old musician's current tour, a phenomenon of album sales (in digital or physical media) all over the world, and which will only be visible during fifteen screenings over four weekends.
But this Friday evening, after an advanced date of 24 hours in the United States, place the first screenings of the film in France. A godsend for the most addicted, especially for those who couldn't get a ticket for the six sold-out French dates of this tour scheduled for next May and June in Paris and Lyon.
A few minutes before the screening, we can feel the impatience rising on the forecourt of the Gaumont Champs-Élysées cinema in Paris (17th arrondissement), especially for Sarah, <> years old, who is waiting for a friend with her phone in hand. She doesn't go unnoticed, with her sequined dress, the same one the star wears on stage: "I have a ticket for the concert in May at the Arena, I bought the outfit for that. So I'm giving it its first start tonight. I bought my tickets three weeks ago, I don't mind seeing the film before the concert... »
Alana, a 19-year-old from Paris, admits to being less fortunate: "I didn't manage to get tickets for the tour that goes through Paris. Thanks to the film, we tell ourselves that it's a bit like going anyway. We hope there will be an atmosphere and, if so, we will sing! It's the same story for Inès and Diane, both 16 years old: "We didn't have any tickets for the May concerts, so tonight we want to sing, we booked two weeks ago for that. »
I didn't think a concert at the cinema could be so powerful
Everything about the #ErasTourMovie
Taylor Swift popstar, showgirl and musician, the most talented of her generation, her 3-hour megashow, her fans
Can't wait to see her@ParisLaDefArena @GroupamaStadium pic.twitter.com/9YDvGd0yoP
— Eric Bureau (@Eric_Bureau) October 14, 2023
A packed house and fans singing the songs
The long-awaited atmosphere will take hold from the first minute of the screening, as fans, who paid just under 20 euros, were also able to buy buckets of popcorn and cups bearing the image of the "Eras Tour" at the cinema counter. The room is packed, and right away, the audience takes up the lyrics of the songs, applauding and screaming at the end of each song, as if they were really at the concert... It will be like this for 2 hours and 49 minutes.
Fans, who paid just under 20 euros for the film, were also able to buy buckets of popcorn and cups bearing the image of the "Eras Tour" at the cinema counter. AFP/Frederic J. Brown
On screen, they are amazed, spectators who are ultimately more privileged than those who attended the three dates of the show at the SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles where the recording was made. Because this Taylor Swift tour only takes place in gigantic stadiums, and, despite the giant screens set up on site, fans from high up must not see much. In cinema, on the other hand, the camera follows the star closely. We make the most of this insane concert, with its huge glass stage where images are projected and which advances in the middle of the audience, its special effects, its incredible choreographies with sometimes thirty dancers surrounding Taylor Swift.
Read alsoTaylor Swift stronger than Justin Bieber, pre-sales of the film of her tour exceeded $100 million
The singer wanted this show to be total, by distilling the hits of all her albums in chronological order. With each opus, its own change of atmosphere - pop, dance, country..., scenography, outfits. She unfurls her signature songs: "Miss America & The Heartbreak Prince", "Fearless", "We are never getting back together", "Style", "Shake it off", "Mastermind"... When she begins the very pop and stirring songs of the album "1989", the audience of the Gaumont Champs-Élysées stands up in unison and dances.
The anonymous ones are in fusion with their idol, who gives a lot, exudes a phenomenal energy for nearly three hours while she already has 75 dates behind her. Incredible Taylor Swift, who regularly addresses her followers, jumps, dances, smiles constantly. Seeing her like this, happy, we better understand her global success: beyond a hitmaker and an exceptional singer, she is a beast of the stage. Better still, aware of this recording that she wanted to offer to those who had not been able to attend the concerts, she constantly plays with the camera.
"I loved the crazy staging on the screen and the atmosphere"
At 23 p.m., the end credits are over, everyone finds themselves on the Parisian avenue, out of breath as if they were coming out of a cinema but from the SoFi Stadium. Delphine, 32, from Puteaux (Hauts-de-Seine), can't believe it: "I booked three weeks ago. I have VIP tickets for the show in May, it ruined me, but I still wanted to see the concert at the cinema to practice! I sang, danced a little. My favorite part was Styles. I loved the crazy staging on the screen and the atmosphere in the room. »
Lauren, a 31-year-old Brit, couldn't hide her joy: "I couldn't get tickets for the show, so I thought at least I'd watch the film. It's cool to see her up close thanks to the cameras. She performed the songs I love the most, Enchanted with her beautiful blue dress, and those from Midnights, my favorite album. The atmosphere was great, I had never seen an audience singing like that standing in a cinema. A few metres away, 17-year-old Lydie has stars in her eyes and no longer has too many voices: "I sang non-stop with my friends, I'm so happy to have experienced this. This film is a chance, we see it so well on stage that it's almost better than a real concert... »
"Taylor Swift - The Eras Tour", music documentary by Sam Wrench. 2h49. Broadcast in the Pathé network and other cinemas (144 in total) for fifteen screenings over four weekends since October 13. Reservations: www.pathelive.com