Plot Summary

Filmed over the course of Reed's five-night stand at St. Ann's, Lou Reed's Berlin revels in the hypnotic majesty of these dark, orchestral songs, which include classics such as "How Do You Think It Feels" and "The Kids." Schnabel art-directed the performances, recruiting his Diving Bell and the Butterfly leading lady, Emmanuelle Seigner, to play the album's central character, Caroline, in the impressionistic stage projections filmed by his daughter, Lola. Now and again Schnabel strays to Seigner, letting the music play over scenes of Caroline to punctuate the album's narrative. But for the most part the film lingers on Reed, as coolly shamanistic a stage presence as ever, as he leads a backing band that includes Sharon Jones, Antony of Antony and the Johnsons, and the Brooklyn Youth Chorus. A landmark live event, Berlin gets the documentary it deserves: Lou Reed's Berlin instantly ranks as one of the greatest concert films ever shot.