“The Eras Tour” film cements Swift’s legacy

During “The Eras Tour” U.S. run from March through August, its massive success propelled local economies and Swift’s stardom, leading to the creation of a concert film. Recreating its energy and spirit, the “Eras” movie recorded three of the tour’s nights in LA, allowing fans worldwide their first “Eras” experience to experience Swift in all her glory at an affordable price.

Mimicking the actual tour, fans dressed creatively to represent all of Swift’s eras and traded homemade friendship bracelets in the theaters. Swift’s devoted fan base showed up in droves — swarming theaters and crashing AMC websites for tickets. Grossing $92.8 million for its domestic opening, the community aspect that made the tour so one-of-a-kind is still heavily present despite the physical absence of Swift.

On the big screen, Swift’s aura can be felt through immersive camera angles that pan around the singer as she addresses crowds, creating a firsthand viewing experience. By combining the best of three nights, the film glimpses intimate details of the tour: from her backup dancers and band to the stadium lighting up from afar. Fans who saw “The Eras Tour” live could reminisce and enhance their experience through the film’s close up cinematography. Performances like “Tolerate It” were shown from Swift’s perspective rather than the audience’s, mesmerizing fans and offering them a new lens.

Taylor Swift cements her performing prowess in motion picture, proving her versatility across the entire entertainment industry.

However, despite being a phenomenal — and essential — aspect to the tour, its tour stadium visuals were cut short on the big screen. The film mainly revolved around close-up shots of Swift and ecstatic crowds, robbing fans of the visuals that tell additional stories with the songs. For screening lengths, five songs were cut from the film, including the nostalgic fan favorite “Long Live.”An ode to her fans and bandmates as she first gained fame, the ballad has become a staple over the years and a sentimental highlight on a tour echoing its sentiment. Despite initial disappointment as the “Speak Now” portion was cut short, fans could still hear it in the ending credits, dedicated to them.

Released at the height of the SAG-AFTRA strikes as theaters suffered extreme net losses, Swift’s loyal fanbase unexpectedly saved the film box office. While many major releases were postponed, the “Eras” movie was permitted by SAG-AFTRA’s union due to meeting its conditions of production. Its strong sales pulled the film industry from one of its lowest points, supporting CNBC predictions on what the cinema industry needed after an inconsistent first half of the year. Although the concert film was pushed to release as quickly as possible, Swift’s influence on the industry and fans is clear. With just over two months between filming and release, the film shows her unparalleled influence, dominating across fields and opening doors into cinema.

“The Eras Tour” movie allowed fans to take one last gaze into the world of the tour, immortalizing the night into a film for fans to relive. Taylor Swift cements her performing prowess in motion picture, proving her versatility across the entire entertainment industry. The film and tour stand as significant points of her career and pop culture in Hollywood’s ever changing environment. As it paves the way for future concert films, it presents a new era for recorded concerts and for the film industry to strengthen sales.

About the Contributors

Mikaela Woo, Staff Writer

Mikaela Woo is a sophomore staff writer who, after a little push from her English teacher, decided to pursue her passion for writing, joining the Gamut back in 2022. She hopes to inform readers through her research and reporting, focusing on topics in A&E and Sports, which align with her deep love for softball, music, and pop culture. Possessing a bold, friendly, and dynamic personality, Mikaela is open to pretty much everyone and not shy about what she likes. She has mixed music tastes, ranging from pop girly-girl vibes to heartbreak country songs, and she often listens to artists such as Taylor Swift, Gracie Abrams, Zach Bryan, and Cody Johnson. Beyond music, readers won't be able to catch her without her phone, Diet Coke, and makeup, notably her mascara. Mikaela also enjoys the vibrant and endearingly campy nostalgia of classic 2000s teen-girl movies and shows like Mean Girls, Legally Blonde, and Gilmore Girls. In the face of a challenge, she remains persistent and resilient, always being able to handle them just in time. Mikaela’s authenticity shines through, especially in her work, so make sure to tune in! It's Mikaela’s era this year, her version.

Justin Le, Staff Writer

Justin Le is a current sophomore, beginning his second year on the Gamut staff. His interest in joining the staff came from the popular 2000s television show, Gilmore Girls, one of his personal favorite series. Since one of the protagonists is a member of their respective student-run newspaper, it only made sense for him to follow suit. Additionally, some of Justin's hobbies include binging TV shows, reading from time to time, and joining sports for about a 24-hour period before promptly quitting them. Although Justin may not be very dedicated to his life as a student athlete, he is certainly dedicated to The Gamut, so much so that he sacrificed his year-long pencil pouch for the sake of keeping a stack of GamSlam brochures from blowing away. Justin’s former Word Hunt addiction might also be pretty compelling, considering he has a total of 1858 wins, more than should be humanly possible. In addition, Justin stays involved here at Oxford, as he is SCC’s Activities Commissioner, as well as an active member of VSA, International Club, and ECO. So when he's not writing moving articles about Taylor Swift, he's got a plethora of other activities to choose from.

Gia Nguyen, Assistant Art/Layout/Web Content Editor

Serving his second year, meet Gia Nguyen, the beloved assistant layout editor of The Gamut. Gia’s story with the newspaper began when he decided the structured format of OA’s art program wasn’t for him. Instead, he prefers the freedom that journalism offered him, allowing him to experiment with his art style, and incorporate art with an academic field. Outside of diligently working on Gamut’s art and layout, you can find Gia bopping to the Spider Verse movie soundtrack, tearing up to emotional movies, taking refreshing walks, and cooking and baking (he makes a mean chicken fettuccine alfredo). Despite having a patient demeanor, Gia has a few dislikes: going through the motions, math and science, and wet and mushy foods (wet spinach irks him). With a passionate personality, Gia is excited for this year in Gamut, personally aiming to have a strong work ethic and improve the quality of his Gamut drafts.