Overview: Bringing down the wall. Smashing the curtain. Rock & Roll as a force of liberation. Rockin' the Wall is the compelling story of Rock & Roll's part in bringing down the Berlin Wall and smashing the Iron Curtain. Told from the perspective of rockers who played at the time, on both sides of the Wall, and from survivors of the communist regimes who recalled the lifeline that rock music provided them, 'Rockin' the Wall' features new interviews and several original songs written exclusively for the film.

DVD Verdict: As mentioned above, 'Rockin' the Wall' is the story of rock music's part in bringing down the Berlin Wall. Featuring the Doors, Quiet Riot, Toto, Vanilla Fudge, plus 'witnesses' from behind the Iron Curtain, it is quite easily one of the mos incredible works of cinematic art that I have come across in years.

For those not to sure what the Berlin Wall was all about, well, the Berlin Wall was a barrier that existed from 1961 through 1989. Constructed by the German Democratic Republic starting on 13 August 1961, it completely cut off (by land) West Berlin from surrounding East Germany and from East Berlin until it was opened in 1989. The barrier included guard towers placed along large concrete walls, which circumscribed a wide area (later known as the "death strip") that contained anti-vehicle trenches, "fakir beds" and other defenses.

The Eastern Bloc claimed that the wall was erected to protect its population from fascist elements conspiring to prevent the "will of the people" in building a socialist state in East Germany. In practice, the Wall served to prevent the massive emigration and defection that marked East Germany and the communist Eastern Bloc during the post-World War II period.

The fall of the Berlin Wall paved the way for German reunification, which was formally concluded on 3 October 1990. Interview footage here on 'Rockin' The Wall' is mixed with existing and original music from the stars as well as heavy documentary footage and animation to tell the experiences of people behind the Wall and the role rock music played in their lives.

In addition to the musicians, interviewees include a member of the Reagan administration involved in Voice of America, several Cold War historians, and is narrated by film and TV star Adam Baldwin.

Noted history professor, and best selling author Larry Schweikart briefly discussed this film during a talk at the Heritage Foundation about his book "A Patriot's History of the Modern World: From America's Exceptional Ascent to the Atomic Bomb, 1898-1945" in October of 2012. I was there and now having watched this documentary now, I have already ordered the book to my Kindle. I hope this film makes you do the very same. This is a Widescreen Presentation (1.85:1) enhanced for 16x9 TVs.