The album was later adapted into a 1982 feature film entitled Pink Floyd The Wall, directed by Alan Parker and featuring Irish musician Bob Geldof as Pink. This event caused Waters to realise that he was starting to distance himself from others and that this "wall" was turning him into a cold and destructive person, and he jokingly suggested that the band build a wall between themselves and the fans. During the concert he spat in the face of an unruly fan who was climbing the fence between the crowd and the band. The Wall was heavily inspired by the Real Life trials and tribulations of bassist and then-leader Roger Waters, who came up with the idea for the album after the last concert at Montreal, Canada's Olympic Stadium during the 1977 In the Flesh tour in support of the band's album Animals. The character of "Pink" is based on both Roger Waters and Syd Barrett. The Wall follows a narrative about fictional rock star "Pink" and his rise and fall, which are caused by his deliberate isolation and his distancing himself from reality and human interaction. The theme of this album is similar to the one found in the band's earlier work The Dark Side of the Moon as it involved descent into insanity.
It is their last studio album to feature Richard Wright, who was fired during the making of this album note He was to return officially by The Division Bell.
The Wall is the eleventh studio album by Pink Floyd, released in 1979.