[Review] BTS Love Yourself in Seoul Concert Film

Following the cinematic release of BTS’s Burn the Stage documentary, a film version of their Love Yourself concert saw a limited release on January 26, 2019. The film played in theaters across the U.S. (as well as many other countries) in regular theaters as well as some Screen X theaters, where the 270-degree screen upped the immersive quality of the experience. Regardless of what type of theater the film is viewed in, watching BTS’s concert on the big screen is an enveloping, moving experience.

The film was shot at the first night of BTS’s sold-out concert in Korea at Seoul’s Olympic Stadium. Estimated attendance for the show was roughly 45,000 (the stadium holds around 70,000, but some seats were unavailable due to their location behind the stage). Throughout the entirety of the Love Yourself world tour, an estimated 800,000 fans saw the show live.

The film opens with the same pre-recorded VCR shown at the opening of the live shows, this time with cuts of the audiences from the tour interspersed throughout. This VCR is the only one present in the show’s film version, the rest likely cut due to time constraints. All of the breaks BTS took to talk with the audience are also cut from the film, preventing the need for subtitles and also shaving off some more time. With performances and the opening VCR alone, the movie is two hours long. Though it’s a bit sad to see the talks and VCRs removed from the film, it makes strategic sense and also allows casual viewers or non-fans to enjoy the concert more easily.

With the extra content removed, the film focuses just on the performances and artistry, easily allowing even non-fan viewers to grasp the flow of the concert as it moves between themes. On the surface, the songs progress logically and smoothly, taking the viewer through a visual and auditory experience that demonstrates both BTS’s talent as performers and their show planners’ abilities to craft a story. Without interruptions, the flow becomes the focus. The concert features member solos paired in such a way that the storytelling progression 기승전결 is emphasized. Solos and songs that match each of the four progressions (which also line up with album order/themes) were performed together. This storytelling is broken up a bit by the opening hype songs, an intermission in the form of a medley, and the first couple of songs in the encore. Arranging the setlist like this helped both the concerts and the film feel like they were designed carefully, with special attention to where each song was placed.

The shots are varied enough to give a sense of the grand scale of the venue–some shots show the massive audience, and others show the water cannons and pyrotechnics that go off during certain performances. There are plenty of group shots that showcase the choreography, and these were cut with close-ups of individual members as they performed their parts or walked around the large extended stage. Though some of the cuts and shots were jagged, too close, or appeared unsteady when viewed on a large screen, overall the camerawork was satisfactory. Being able to watch the show from the front, rather than the side or the top, made the experience immersive and fulfilling.

BTS’s performances were intriguing to watch, as always, and the close-ups of solo stages and emotionally impactful songs allowed viewers to see facial expressions that conveyed the members’ emotions. These shots were especially effective for “Epiphany” and “The Truth Untold,” where the ability to emote not just vocally but also externally really upped the performance value and impact of the set.

In Korea, BTS accounted for 60% of box office sales for the weekend presale tickets were released. Love Yourself also became the biggest release yet for a concert film (3,800 theaters and 95 countries). Previously, the Burn the Stagedocumentary surpassed One Direction’s 2014 film titled Where We Are with 1.4 million admissions at its first launch. The documentary also hit #10 at the U.S. box office. As the stats for Love Yourself begin to come out, it’ll be no surprise to see another record set by the world’s most popular Korean band.

The Love Yourself film was a one-day release for most theaters, but some Screen X theaters will continue to screen the film for two weeks.