32 Short Films About Glenn Gould: Amazon.ca: DVD

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Canadian Essential: Chosen by the Amazon.ca editors as one of the 50 Canadian Essentials in DVD.

Product Description

Amazon.ca Canadian Essential

A collection of vignettes highlighting different aspects of the life, work, and character of the acclaimed Canadian classical pianist, Glenn Gould. Directed by Quebec native Francois Girard, it won multiple Genie awards--including best picture, and best director for Girard--for its sensitive treatment of Gould's life and considerable legacy.

From Amazon.com

François Girard originally conceived 32 Short Films About Glenn Gould as a biography to try to explain the bizarre genius of the master pianist who stopped touring in 1963 at the height of his success. The 32 parts play out key moments of Gould's life without stringing them together. They go from realistic (a scene in a Hamburg hotel in which Gould turns a maid on to the wonder of music) to nihilistic (a segment solely made up of the drugs Gould presumably took). Stratford actor Colm Feore is quite good as the slyly introverted, soft-spoken figure, although this film is more of an examination of loneliness than of music. The key question is, Does this docudrama enlighten us better than a straightforward documentary on Gould would? Probably not. --Doug Thomas

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Customer Reviews

13 Reviews

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
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Average Customer Review

4.6 out of 5 stars (13 customer reviews)

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5.0 out of 5 stars Glen Gould Rocks You, Feb 14 2004

By

Z. Parker (Madison, WI) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)

This review is from: 32 Short Films About Glenn Gould (DVD)

What an interesting collection of meditations on the stupefying musicality of Glen Gould. This pianist is from another planet. Classical music has never been so exciting to a rock n' roll fan.

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4.0 out of 5 stars VIGNETTES, NOT "SHORT-FILMS", AND FASCINATING!, July 21 2003

By

Shashank Tripathi (Gadabout) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)

This review is from: 32 Short Films About Glenn Gould (DVD)

Several reviews of this DVD operate under the misconception that it is intended as a documentary or as a fictional re-enactment of some short films on Gould. It is neither.

The "movie" (by which I mean the integrated thirty-two vignettes) is an exploration of Glenn Gould (Pearl Harbour, Colm Feore, Storm of the Century), the Canadian-born musician who is considered to be one of the world's greatest pianists, an eccentric genius whose performance of Bach's Goldberg Variations was recorded and included onboard the Voyager space probes.

By no means a conventional biography, the film's episodes rarely attempt to pin down exact events or particular dates in his life. Exceptions include his interviews, radio broadcasts, and his final concert appearance. Rather, the film shows us phases and stages of his life, from his childhood to his career as a concert performer, his hobbies - the stock market, humour, travel, and experimental radio broadcasts - and his last days, when he complained to friends and relatives of his apprehension of death.

The aesthetic of the film is self-consciously arty, deliberately bizarre, and exceedingly concerned with crisp, polished sound - exactly like Glenn Gould.

It runs for 100 minutes or so, which means each vignette should have an average of 3 minutes. In reality some of them are 1 minute long, and other more key sequences (like one where Gould is at a truck stop) are of 5-6 minutes duration.

Very worthy purchase if you are familiar with or interested in the quirky but brilliant musician.

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5.0 out of 5 stars Totally Remarkable--and NOT just for snoots!!, Feb 11 2003

By

electricfool "keverdene" (NYC) - See all my reviews

This review is from: 32 Short Films About Glenn Gould (DVD)

It would be utterly ridiculous to give this film anything less than five stars. Classical music snobs who believe the film doesn't give enough "insight" into Gould's day-to-day life are missing the point. Gould himself didn't have much time for classical music snobs, by the way.
This is a totally original film that incorporates marvelous acting, densely-layered cinematography, and a variety of technical and emotional details seamlessly. It is not a dry, interview-style documentary, nor is it an overly artsy-fartsy "biopic." This film is subtle yet overwhelming, beautiful yet quiet, and (for me at least) life changing. My appreciation for and understanding of music grew exponentially after I saw this movie.
Ultimately, I believe that "32" belongs to the avid moviegoer who doesn't spend a great deal of time at the symphony. Its complexity and originality will show you how music enables us to be truly *alive*. The Bach is only secondary.

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Most recent customer reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful Introduction to Gould's Work for Students
I first showed this to my students five years ago in one of those "after the holiday concert slump" moments. Read more

Published on Feb 11 2003 by Middle School Orchestra Teacher

4.0 out of 5 stars A film more than a documentary
I was expecting a documentary of Glenn Gould, ie, with exclusive footage of Gould, short interviews, etc. Read more

Published on Jan 15 2003 by Clara Ng