Antonio Gaudi

Rating:
Summary: Fantasy As Reality: A Small Feast of Antonio Gaudi
Review: A well-crafted film that provides a tantalizing glimpse of some of Gaudi's most famous work. With the exception of a brief interview with one of Gaudi's contemporaries, there is no narrative or dialogue. Rather, the film is a riveting visual feast; excellent cinematography with a unique musical score that complements the architecture shown. Occasional English sub-titles identify buildings, locations and dates of construction. The film opens with a brief look at the culture of Spain in the medieval period through its art and architecture, establishing a background against which to juxtapose Gaudi's radical departure from the historical past. Little is told of Gaudi's life; instead this film concentrates on some of his more notable work and does so brilliantly. It leaves one wanting more...much more! Who was this man? How did he do it? What else did he design? This feast for the eyes and ears can be understood easily by non-English speakers. Highly recommended!

Rating:
Summary: A boring bore and even more of the same!
Review: Although it knew the dialogue was going to be sparse, I had no idea it was going to be virtually non-existent ! Having visited Barcelona/Sagrada Familia, Park Guell in May 2001, I was extremely interested in seeing (again) the magnificent works of Gaudi, and hearing the intoxicating Catalan language. Thankfully this DVD provided striking images of the magnificent buildings, but what I missed was any sort of background on the man, his inspirations, schooling, etc. While I may be regulated to perusing books and other assorted publications to find out more about Gaudi, this video will provide stunning visuals. My favorite part ? When his student discussed Gaudi himself.

Rating:
Summary: Better have time to kill, but in a good way
Review: Although it knew the dialogue was going to be sparse, I had no idea it was going to be virtually non-existent ! Having visited Barcelona/Sagrada Familia, Park Guell in May 2001, I was extremely interested in seeing (again) the magnificent works of Gaudi, and hearing the intoxicating Catalan language. Thankfully this DVD provided striking images of the magnificent buildings, but what I missed was any sort of background on the man, his inspirations, schooling, etc. While I may be regulated to perusing books and other assorted publications to find out more about Gaudi, this video will provide stunning visuals. My favorite part ? When his student discussed Gaudi himself.

Rating:
Summary: A boring bore and even more of the same!
Review: Oh, boy! This is an interesting but unfortunately FAILED experiment. This long pseudo-artsy "documentary" provides nothing more than a series of shots of Gaudí's buildings presented with an annoying electronic background music which sounds like it belongs in a cheap thriller. There is NO commentary, although buildings are labelled at times. Judging by cars in the streets, it's a rather old material. Most of my students in a Spanish art class were either annoyed, bored, or fell asleep during the viewing of this material. On the positive side, the DVD format lets one access just one building at a time -- in small doses it may be more palatable.

Rating:
Summary: A boring bore and even more of the same!
Review: Oh, boy! This is an interesting but unfortunately FAILED experiment. This long pseudo-artsy "documentary" provides nothing more than a series of shots of Gaudí's buildings presented with an annoying electronic background music which sounds like it belongs in a cheap thriller. There is NO commentary, although buildings are labelled at times. Judging by cars in the streets, it's a rather old material. Most of my students in a Spanish art class were either annoyed, bored, or fell asleep during the viewing of this material. On the positive side, the DVD format lets one access just one building at a time -- in small doses it may be more palatable.

Rating:
Summary: Gaudi and Takemitsu: perfect combo
Review: This is a great tour through the works of the brilliant, one-of-a-kind architect Antonio Gaudi. Find some pictures of his work on the net, and, if you're impressed, you'll like this movie. The cinematography is perfect, tracking and panning slowly over his work, so you can take it in. As if Gaudi's work wasn't enough, it also features music by the great Toru Takemitsu, who is the ultimate tour guide, much better than the narrator a lesser documentary on Gaudi might have provided. Instead of rattling off information, Takemitsu offers mood and atmosphere to compliment Gaudi's visuals perfectly. Together they offer a haunting, hallucinatory experience.

Rating:
Summary: Beautifully captured images of Gaudi's work.
Review: When I first saw this film, I did not know what to expect. One thing is there is no dialogue, just footage of the glorious city of Barcelona and the effect Gaudi's work had on the place. It's beautiful, surreal and an extremely awe inspiring experience to view it all on film. There is a depth to this film which words cannot convey, only seeing this film can one appreciate Gaudi and the city of Barcelona. A city imbued with enormous beauty and creative genius. One can feel great pride for the Catalan people by just his (Gaudi's) example alone. Well worth your time to see!