I.M. Pei - First Person Singular/The Museum on the Mountain

Rating:
Summary: Hear it from a master in his own words!
Review: I.M. Pei is one of my favorite architects, so getting this DVD was a no-brainer. There actually aren't that many comprehensive works on Pei either in print or in video, but this DVD helps to make up for it very nicely, especially since Pei himself is the main narrator and you get two programs on one disc. There is perhaps nothing more fascinating than hearing a master speak about his work in his own words.

The first show, "First Person Singular", features I.M. Pei talking about the full range of his career, from his boyhood until the present day. He discusses his approach to architecture and surveys of some of his major works. Throughout the course of the show, Pei really comes across as a very intelligent, engaging, and elegant person.

The second program on the DVD, "Museum on the Mountain", follows Pei throughout his design, development, and construction of the Miho Museum in Japan. The viewer gets to see how a master designer progresses through the design process and how he approaches problems in detail, continuously making changes and refinements up until the last minute.

This DVD is an Absolute Must-Have for anyone interested in architecture or thinking of a career in the architectural profession.

Rating:
Summary: a remarkable value for lovers of architecture
Review: J. Carter Brown, the late curator of the National Gallery of Art, called "First Person Singular: I. M. Pei", the finest film on architecture ever made. This DVD not only contains the full 86 minute story of I. M. Pei's life and work -- told by the architect himself -- but also the details of one of the most intriguing works of his life, the magnificent museum hidden in the hills near Kyoto which contains one of the world's finest collections of Asian and Near Eastern antiquities. In addition, this DVD or the VHS version contains a gallery of photos of Pei's most significant buildings. If you have any love for architecture, it's a must have for your personal collection, and a vital necessity for any institution that is interested in the field.

Rating:
Summary: A Lasting DVD!!
Review: This DVD is good, in part with Mr. Pei's direct work in a visually rich art and architecture project:The Museum on the Mountain is a very applied film about Mr. Pei's Japan project. The film is very well done. Would have liked footage of the tough site entrance purchase and groundbreaking, which is discussed in the conversations with I.M Pei book. The First person singular film follows an anthology of Mr. Pei's life and work. Mr Pei inspires the viewers with a round table type of instruction with his modest scope about architecture. This very good film tells a lot about Mr. pei's architectural experiences and philosphies-including inspirations from LeCorbusier,Mies,Aalto,Gropius,Breuer, and many others...Thanks to all.