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!
Rating: 
Summary: Good overview but missing that *something* special
Review: Ken Burns managed not to annoy me with this documentary as he has done in the past with other documentaries. It serves as a good overview of FLLW's life and career. But one is left thinking there could have been something a little extra that could have made this the definitive documentary on this icon of the 20th Century. My initial reaction is that the footage of Wright's building was superbly done, but the documentary would have been served with more of this footage...and especially, more footage of different buildings and not just the famous ones. Also, there is not a lot of effort to show exactly *why* Wright was a great architect. His main philosophy of design is covered, but not those small details that propel his buildings from the above average to the extraordinary. Instead, more attention is paid to his life, which admittedly also makes for a great story. This documentary is worth owning, but only to suppliment your collection of Wright books and videos (if you're so inclined as to have a "collection" like I do!). One other note: I expected the picture quality on this DVD to be of higher quality than it was. The rich colors of the footage are sometimes compromised by a coarse sampling rate (blocks of pixels becoming visible...especially in darker scenes). A higher rate of sampling would've served the DVD much better, even if it would have required two discs.
Rating: 
Summary: A few slow spots, but we really enjoyed it.
Review: My wife and I, after seeing the first half, rearranged our subsequent evening to see the second as soon as possible. This is both a surprising biography of a really interesting person and a revelation of how his life shaped his art. Over the years you come upon one story or another about Wright. For us this film pulled all the bits together. We are definately not loaning this one out... buy your own.
Rating:
Summary: Exquisite!
Review: Often the best way to experience any architecture is to be there in person, but if that is not possible, then this film would be the next best thing to give you that exhilarating feeling you would get from experiencing Wright spaces. The cinematography is exquisite, the interviews and stories are inspiring, Wright's work is captured beautifully on film. True, this film is not the a study guide to Wright's architecture. It will not show you floor plans, sections for every building discussed in the film nor will it give you the secrets of Wright's design process, but it does allow you to see much much more than a book can. Frank Lloyd Wright's work is very much entwined with his legend, his personality, his vision, his upbringing, and his dogged determination to be the best ever architect. The boldness of his innovations, his contant reliance on nature for inspirations, and his genius in sythesizing all these are all wonderfully captured on film. This video is a must see!
Rating:
Summary: A wonderfully produced film worthy of lots of praise!
Review: Only one word: beautiful. This is a wonderful documentary
Rating:
Summary: A great in-depth look at the man and his life
Review: The show did well in covering the life of FLW. I felt that a lot of detail was left out, including the demise of his family. Also, a large number of works, including the only skyscraper that FLW ever designed (Price Tower) were left out, probably due to time restrictions. A great series to watch if you are a fan of architecture or FLW.
Rating: 
Summary: Did Jerry Springer make this film?
Review: This biography of Frank Lloyd Wright is a fascinating story. He was the most celebrated American architect of his day. He felt a house should be one with nature, to compliment it. His homes gave a distinctive feeling of spaciousness; and he believed an architect's primary purpose was to build dwellings that people delighted in living in - and not just looking at. Scandals tainted his "first life" and probably contributed to his lack of major commissions. But his career took flight when, at sixty-two, he married a woman who, for once, was his intellectual equal. She was totally devoted to him and had him write an autobiography and begin a school of architecture. The exposure led to new clientele - and to his most significant creative achievement - the Guggenheim Museum in New York, which took thirteen years to build, and was completed six months after he died. Frank Lloyd Wright thought very highly of himself, of his own abilities, and of his contribution to the advancement of mankind's existence. His self-confidence drove him to push the edges of the envelope - for his entire life. His vision was infectious. Clients would recall fondly that working with Mr. Wright, while he was designing and building their homes or offices, would be the highpoint of their lives. Mr. Wright's accomplishments are a testament that life - and living - are not bounded by age; and that divine ability can sometimes lead to greatness. This is easily one of Ken Burns' best works, and I couldn't stop watching it!
Rating:
Summary: The Greatest American Architect
Review: This biography of Frank Lloyd Wright is a fascinating story. He was the most celebrated American architect of his day. He felt a house should be one with nature, to compliment it. His homes gave a distinctive feeling of spaciousness; and he believed an architect's primary purpose was to build dwellings that people delighted in living in - and not just looking at. Scandals tainted his "first life" and probably contributed to his lack of major commissions. But his career took flight when, at sixty-two, he married a woman who, for once, was his intellectual equal. She was totally devoted to him and had him write an autobiography and begin a school of architecture. The exposure led to new clientele - and to his most significant creative achievement - the Guggenheim Museum in New York, which took thirteen years to build, and was completed six months after he died. Frank Lloyd Wright thought very highly of himself, of his own abilities, and of his contribution to the advancement of mankind's existence. His self-confidence drove him to push the edges of the envelope - for his entire life. His vision was infectious. Clients would recall fondly that working with Mr. Wright, while he was designing and building their homes or offices, would be the highpoint of their lives. Mr. Wright's accomplishments are a testament that life - and living - are not bounded by age; and that divine ability can sometimes lead to greatness. This is easily one of Ken Burns' best works, and I couldn't stop watching it!
Rating:
Summary: utterly wonderful!
Review: This DVD provides a comprehensive, objective, and compelling look at one of the greatest architects ever. I was especially surprised to learn more about Wright's fallibility and the tragedies that touched his life. This is Ken Burns storytelling at its finest. Some good DVD extras, too.
Rating:
Summary: masterful
Review: This film was masterfully done. Not only did Burns do an excellent job with camera when exhibiting one of Wright's buildings, but I also enjoyed the parallel drawn between Beethoven and Wright. I highly recommend this to everyone.
| 
