Rating: 
Summary: meandering and mediocre treatment of a American legend
Review: A meandering and mediocre treatment of an American legend...with too much time spent on the symbolism, exposition, sidetracks and not enough on the subject...Wright & His Architecture. Burns work has steadily gone downhill since The Civil War. Did he produce this piece for passion or pay?
Rating: 
Summary: Second-hander
Review: Another reviewer of this documentary writes:"Unwieldy and suffering from attention deficit disorder, his facades scream in contrast to the environs. Windowless and cold, you wonder how the interior can display such a warmth and balance. The outside and inside simply cannot the be the same building. This, to me is the essential dichotomy of this film and his personality. " I refer this reviewer to "The Fountainhead" by Ayn Rand for an indepth explanation of the rational purpose behind this "essentail dichotomy."
Rating:
Summary: Praise for the human approach to the artistry of Wright
Review: Having read several books concerning the life of Frank Lloyd Wright, and collecting works about his creations, I eagerly viewed this film. Ken Burns masterfully brings to the screen the intricacies of both the life and work of Frank Lloyd Wright. Burns recreates for the viewer the remarkable experience of entering a Wright building, an experience the begs the visitor to discover the genius who designed the use of space. The film intelligently explores the man and his work, answering many questions and raising others. Anyone drawn to Wright and his designs, anyone intrigued by great men, anyone interested in American perceptions will find this film to be a treasure.
Rating: 
Summary: Getting some things straight.
Review: I am not quite sure that I have seen the contents of this particular tape, although a film on FLlW was telecast here in Australia a while ago. However what I have to say has to do with some of the above comments, rather than the video itself. First I'll deal with a sentence found in the piece by "parallax442". It says that Wright DESIGNED Falligwater in just under 3 hours. Actually what he means is : he DREW the presentation sketches. Not Michelangelo, not Palladio, not Sir Christopher Wren, Phillip Johnson, nor Mies van der Roe can or could DESIGN a house in that time. Not even a god can, I don't think. The fact is that Wright began creating his masterpiece on the very minute he began SPEAKING with the Kaufmanns. Vieweing the intended site of the new house simply kicked his genius in full gear and the rest is (or should be) well known. At the time of the carefully documented phone call, announcing his client's visit, Frank Lloyd Wright COPIED the stuff that was in his head. Is as simple as that (if anyone can call any such thing SIMPLE). Another thing to which I take exception, is the word "scandalous" used elsewhere with regards to his personal life. The guy married young an even younger and very beautiful girl, full of life. Sowed his oats (wild or domesticated,as the case may be) prior to that, during and after. He found a beautiful and spirited mistress etc. etc. etc. Knew joys, sorrow, pleasure and tragedy. Lived his life to the full as he knew how. Scandalous? Does anyone ever divorce or get a lover in America?
Rating:
Summary: This Is Not a Movie Picture Book
Review: I bought this dvd thinking that I wanted to see homes that Frank Lloyd Wright built, but this dvd does that no justice. This is a documentary of Frank Lloyd Wrights life, not a movie about his work. I do not suggest buying this unless you want to know about the man, not his work.
Rating:
Summary: A Great Exploration of the Life, Trials, and Accomplishments
Review: I only got to see the last hour of the movie, but overall, it was well written. I especially like the aspect of the movie that deals with Frank Lloyd Wrights flaws in his buildings. It shows that no matter how much genius a person has, they still make mistakes. It gives a very factual account of his visions and buildings, including the acclaimed "Fallingwater." The movie intertwines his architectural accomplishments as well as his personal life, making this a very interesting combination. Anybody who watches this film will get a good idea of how Frank Lloyd Wright operated throughtout his more than 9 decade lifetime. I would strongly recommend that anyone interested in art or architecture watch this movie!
Rating:
Summary: I am moved... but where have I moved to?
Review: If you love Frank Lloyd Wright, watch this film. Conversely, if you hate FLW, please watch this film. By delving into his personal life, I was brought to a "Love-Hate" relationship with this grand architect. Distant from family, dictatorial and arrogant, this is a film documenting a supremely focused man. Touching upon how even the customers who commissioned his work were slaves to his grand designs, you wonder if this man was either truly gifted or the product of a cult of personality. I went into this film with a reserved dislike for him and came out with a sturdy hatred, yet acknowledging that he was possibly the finest interior designer of modern times. Commanding a rich feel for space and privacy, FLW's penchance for large, natural space is a revelation in this documentary. However, this film did nothing for my contempt of his EXTERIOR creations. Unwieldy and suffering from attention deficit disorder, his facades scream in contrast to the environs. Windowless and cold, you wonder how the interior can display such a warmth and balance. The outside and inside simply cannot the be the same building. This, to me is the essential dichotomy of this film and his personality. Unlike other Ken Burns' longer documentaries, you are drawn into the subject instead of sitting on the sidelines. You simply cannot stay impartial to him. One critical flaw of this work is that too much of FLW's life is left unanswered. Years of his life are left unaccounted for. In retrospect, you realize that he wasn't doing much in that period, but it would have been nice if the documentary had simply said "He wasn't doing much in this period." The film builds up to the creation of Fallingwater and the Guggenheim museum. I was startled to discover that Fallingwater, arguably the most famous American house, was designed in a scant 3 hours. Another question left open is how much of his students work was credited as his own in the later years of his life. Regardless, even if the work was his student's, the essence is pure Wright. Unfortunately, this film does not spend much time discussing FLW's furniture designs. Chairs, tables, windows are only seen as part of the whole. I would have loved to have seen the detail and evolution of these components, but the documentary spent most of it's time convincing me to hate, yet respect him. Even with the above mentioned concerns, a film worthy of 5 stars. A very high quality product which shows me how Ken Burns' treats a subject who is not a moral giant.
Rating:
Summary: A great documentary of an architectual genius (and odd guy)
Review: Ken Burns (the primary contributor to this film) did a awesome job capturing the beauty and magnificence of Wright's various creations. The first half of the film talks about Wright's early creations -- the second half focuses on the most productive time of Wright's career (after his 60s ). The Waterfall house, the Johnson Wax building, the Gugenheim...wonderful footage of wonderful places. The most illuminating part of the video, however, is the look into Wright's personal life...an aspect of Wright that is often glossed over.
Rating:
Summary: A missed opportunity
Review: Ken Burns doing Frank Lloyd Wright. Expectations among fans of Wright's work were very high. But Burns fell woefully short in capturing the essence of the man and in explaining what makes his architecture great (and what makes the ideas behind it still relevant today). Instead, he spent too much time delving into personal scandals, as if the docu. was being made for the commercial networks rather than PBS! A mediocre effort.
Rating:
Summary: Fascinating!
Review: Ken Burns has put together an extraordinary portrait of one of America's most brilliant sons! It was quite enjoyable and informative - we even watched it twice! Mr. Burns incorporated many personal interviews with Frank Lloyd Wright's existing children and grandchildren as well as associates and apprentices. It was a very comprehensive video that not only exemplified his work but also the very personal trials and tribulations that helped to shape his character. If you can, visit one of his buildings! We bought the DVD after touring Taliesin in Spring Green, WI. ENJOY!
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