Divine Madness

Bette Midler walks on and for two hours sings, does impressions, tells crude jokes and changes costume. No interval, no backstage, no interviews. The film is not interested in what happens offstage. It is interested in the show itself: it makes no attempt to explain Midler's personality, only to record her onstage in full. The transitions between song and sketch are therefore the film's real subject. Michael Ritchie directed, and his first decision was absolute: no visible cameras. Twenty cameras were used, yet at no point does equipment or a crew member appear onstage. Concerts filmed across three separate nights were cut together as one performance. The recordings were made at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium in February 1980, on the Divine Madness tour. The Harlettes are onstage too. Who it is for: viewers who like concert films and want Midler at the start of the eighties. Who it is not for: anyone expecting a documentary. The film says not a word about career, life or context, and offers nothing to hold onto if you do not enjoy the act.