Bruce Springsteen: Streets of Philadelphia (1994 Music Video) User Reviews

Important by itself alone but also made the movie what it is

[Rodrigo_Amaro · 10/10 · 29 March 2018]

We all know that Jonathan Demme's "Philadelphia" was the project that brought the AIDS theme to everyone's table for a mainstream audience and this time, no one could avoid anymore in adressing the issue. To Hollywood, it was time - despite several minor, independent films already existing way back during the crisis. But there's two huge factors that turned the film into something you couldn't miss: Tom Hanks powerhouse performance and transformation from comedian to a more seriouis actor and Springsteen's main theme for the movie - no wonder they're the ones who got all the accolades possible during awards season. It's hard to describe why a film like that needed something like that but it's a catalyst that you cannot disassociate with the film, it's message of losing yourself, not recognising yourself or who you are because a devastating disease got into you. Lyrics truly make us feel for Andrew Beckett and his ordeals while living his possible final moments. In short, the song fits the movie like the most perfect glove ever designed. Springsteen's geniality in music and lyrics is allied with Jonathan and Ted Demme's direction that made a quite unusual clip where the Boss lip-synch the song with a hidden microphone and that's why it sounds different than the version played on the radio and the film; it feels natural, real while he walks down through miserable and downtrodden places in Philadelphia, mixed with some images from the film's opening. It's a haunting song, quite sad video but never fails to achieve its goal: to present a different reality, a broken man trying to make his way and survive the best way he can. It's almost as if Bruce was Beckett, living in oblivion but still walking on and striving for something better, something good despite being ignored by his peers or its surroundings. He walks alone. Music and lyrics are some of the best he ever had, great performance, a melancholic sound with a nice beat that stays with you for a long time. I don't imagine another concept for a soundtrack clip like this one, I think the Demmes did a fine job and created one of the finest moments of all music video ever made. 10/10

A refuge

[Kirpianuscus · 2 February 2020]

One of unique songs. And a great video. And a splendid reflection of a so familiar state of soul. Music of a manifesto film,it is itself an useful reflection of hard fight and subtile art. A song as testimony and a special manner to define not the fight of a character, so provocative for his time, but the near reality în the fair light. So, Bruce Springsteen and his admirable job.

Easy to like, difficult to love

[Horst_In_Translation · 6/10 · 28 December 2018]

Here we got the music video for the song "Streets of Philadelphia" from 1994 directed by the late Oscar-winning filmmaker Jonathan Demme with his nephew Ted, so this one has its 25th anniversary. The fact that the song won an Emmy, a Grammy and an Oscar makes it not too surprising that this is still Bruce Springsteen's career-defining work a quarter of a century later. He was in his mid-40s here and the song is of course closely connect to the American movie Philadelphia that also win Tom Hanks his first Oscar. Now for the video and song here, I thought both were fine, but did not impress me too much. The video is very simple. Springsteen walks through the city of Philadelphia and sings meeting people on his way and wandering through parts of the city that probably mostly locals will recognize. Maybe you need to be American at least or even better from Philly to appreciate this one. I must say I as a German struggled with it honestly and I did not come across the magic many mentioned related to this song. It is a pretty short one really at under 3 minutes. So yeah, overall I believe this was a pretty good watch to be honest, but nothing close to must-see level unless you maybe orginate from the place this is about (or really love the Hanks' movie, by the way it's Denzel washington's birthday today just sayin'). The Boss' voice is smooth and feels right to listen to. I think you should check this one out. Overall, it is of course a thumbs-up for me and also better to watch with the music video than without.