‘Last Waltz’ rolls with Criterion Collection in 4K UHD

Martin Scorsese’s “The Last Waltz” — the “Raging Bull” of concert movies — is coming to the Criterion Collection in a newly restored 4K UHD edition.

The movie documents the farewell performance of the Band at San Francisco’s Winterland Ballroom on Thanksgiving, 1976. It is arguably the finest rock concert movie ever made.

Criterion’s 4K digital restoration was supervised and approved by the Band’s Robbie Robertson, with 5.1 surround DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack. The title streets March 29, in two editions: a multi-format set and a single Blu-ray.

The 4K UHD edition includes one 4K UHD disc of the film presented in Dolby Vision HDR and one Blu-ray with the film and special features.

There are two (recycled) audio commentaries, featuring director Scorsese; Robertson; other members of the Band; members of the production crew; and performers Dr. John, Ronnie Hawkins, and Mavis Staples. There also are a new interview with Scorsese, a 2002 documentary about the making of the film and various outtakes.

MGM Home Entertainment previously released the 1978 film as a special-edition DVD in 2002. The studio’s Blu-ray version of “The Last Waltz” came in 2006, and then both were repackaged as a two-fer in 2010. This will be the first release via collectors label Criterion.

Part of the film’s enduring appeal remains the Band’s then-unique music, which looked backward and forward at the same time. While arena rock raged and disco loomed, the Canadians distilled rural sounds and lyrical imagery from days long past, while never losing the backbeat. The world’s first roots rockers were so influential that “Last Waltz” guest Eric Clapton disbanded his psychedelic-blues improv band Cream after hearing their precision.

The film also captures San Francisco’s WInterland auditorium in its final years. For a decade, the venue had played host to the top psychedelic and underground acts of the day, mostly booked by Bill Graham.

The “Last Waltz” concert came together in about a month, beginning as a simple farewell concert for the Band at Winterland. Top stars of the day such as Clapton, Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, Muddy Waters and Dr. John joined the bill as musical guests. Plans for a 16mm docu film evolved into a 35mm feature with red-hot director Scorsese calling the shots along with Robertson, the producer.

Scorsese recruited production designer Boris Leven (“New York, New York”) and director of photography Michael Chapman (“Taxi Driver”). Leven transformed the bare concert hall into an evocative opera hall, using sets from a local “La Traviata” production. Scorsese and Chapman mapped out camera moves and lighting as if they were fielding a studio film, creating a “musical script.” “I thought, ‘This guy is serious,’ ” Robertson says in the commentary of the director he hired. “He’s going in like Alfred Hitchcock.”

Music fan Scorsese worked without a contract, saying he had “a crazy desire to get this on film.” Scorsese avoided the rock film cliches he helped establish as a cutter on “Woodstock.” No split screens, no fan reaction shots. While most of the numbers were captured live onstage, several were done on soundstages, allowing Scorsese’s cameras to roam freely. One set piece, the Band’s hit “The Weight,” features the Staple Singers in an astounding merger of film and music artistry.

Scorsese says he cannot bear to watch the film at times because it is “too moving.”

Criterion’s double-disc release will street for about $35, while the new Blu-ray is priced at $28.