a nearly wordless contemplation of the shapes and spaces that comprise Gaudí’s legacy...
Still, "Antonio Gaudí" is potent enough to survive even this de-clawing. I´d love to see it in a theater with my fellow cave-dwellers, but the DVD release of this unique film about a unique artist is certainly better than none at all.
VIDEO
The film is presented in its original 1.33:1 full-screen aspect ratio. Like many recent Criterion full-screen releases, the image is pictureboxed meaning some viewers will see thin black bars on all sides of the picture. It´s another great job by Criterion, perhaps not as utterly flawless as this month´s release of "Mafioso" but not far off the mark. The image is particularly notable for the bright, saturated colors that are essentially to appreciate both the film and Gaudí´s work. "Antonio Gaudí" was previously released by Image Entertainment in 1999. I do not have a copy of that release to compare it to, but I have heard few good things about it. I have little doubt that the Criterion release represents a major upgrade. It´s hard to believe any other version could be superior.
AUDIO
The DVD is presented in Dolby Digital Mono. Optional English subtitles support the handful of lines of dialogue or narration which are in Spanish and Japanese.
EXTRAS
As far as I know, this is the first Asian documentary released by Criterion (not counting extras, that is). As if overcompensating for this long-term oversight, they have heaped on the offerings in this two-disc feast.
Disc One includes the restored film and a Theatrical Trailer.
Disc Two offers several superior extras.
The best of the bunch is "God´s Architect" (59 min.), an installment of the British series "Visions of Space." This quirky feature doesn´t hew to a standard television formula. Art critic Robert Hughes hosts this exploration of Barcelona by way of Gaudí with both an open admiration for the artist and an equally open skepticism for his pious lifestyle.
Another idiosyncratic artist, Ken Russell, also shows up with an episode (16 min) of the BBC series "Monitor" devoted to Gaudí´s work. Russell isn´t shy about offering his own strong opinions (surprise) but after watching the main film, it´s hard to watch the same shots of Gaudí´s buildings in black-and-white.
In a wonderful find, Criterion also presents silent 16-mm footage taken by Hiroshi and his father Sofu on their 1959 trip to Barcelona, the trip that planted the seed of "Antonio Gaudí" in then 32 year-old Hiroshi´s mind. The basic blueprint of the 1984 film can be seen here 25 years earlier.
The disc also includes "Sculptures by Sofu – Vita" (17 min), a documentary by Hiroshi about the installation of a sculpture exhibition by his father Sofu at the Sogetsu Institute. It´s similar in style to "Antonio Gaudí" and quite absorbing.
Finally, we get an interview (13 min.) with architect Arata Isozaki, best known in America for designing the Los Angeles Museum of Contemporary Art (that´s MOCA, not LACMA in case you are confused). Isozaki had previously collaborated with Hiroshi on "The Face of Another." The interview was recorded in 2006 for Criterion.
The 36-page insert booklet kicks off with an essay by Dore Ashton, and includes a conversation with Hiroshi as well as a 1959 interview with Hiroshi and Sofu.
FILM VALUE
Shame on me. I wrote the main body of the review without once mentioning the extraordinary soundtrack by composer Tôru Takemitsu, an otherwordly discordant mix of popular and classical styles that provides the perfect accompaniment to the rigorous camera work. Takemitsu (who died in 1996) was one of Japan´s most accomplished film composers. He was a frequent collaborator with Hiroshi Teshigahara ("Woman in the Dunes," "The Face of Another") and also worked on landmark films such as Masaki Kobayashi´s "Kwaidan" and Akira Kurosawa´s "Ran." If I was even a halfway knowledgeable music critic, I´d write extensively about this great soundtrack, but it´s best to leave such work to the experts. I´ll simply say that I thought it was brilliant, and leave it at that.
VIDEO
The film is presented in its original 1.33:1 full-screen aspect ratio. Like many recent Criterion full-screen releases, the image is pictureboxed meaning some viewers will see thin black bars on all sides of the picture. It´s another great job by Criterion, perhaps not as utterly flawless as this month´s release of "Mafioso" but not far off the mark. The image is particularly notable for the bright, saturated colors that are essentially to appreciate both the film and Gaudí´s work. "Antonio Gaudí" was previously released by Image Entertainment in 1999. I do not have a copy of that release to compare it to, but I have heard few good things about it. I have little doubt that the Criterion release represents a major upgrade. It´s hard to believe any other version could be superior.
AUDIO
The DVD is presented in Dolby Digital Mono. Optional English subtitles support the handful of lines of dialogue or narration which are in Spanish and Japanese.
EXTRAS
As far as I know, this is the first Asian documentary released by Criterion (not counting extras, that is). As if overcompensating for this long-term oversight, they have heaped on the offerings in this two-disc feast.
Disc One includes the restored film and a Theatrical Trailer.
Disc Two offers several superior extras.
The best of the bunch is "God´s Architect" (59 min.), an installment of the British series "Visions of Space." This quirky feature doesn´t hew to a standard television formula. Art critic Robert Hughes hosts this exploration of Barcelona by way of Gaudí with both an open admiration for the artist and an equally open skepticism for his pious lifestyle.
Another idiosyncratic artist, Ken Russell, also shows up with an episode (16 min) of the BBC series "Monitor" devoted to Gaudí´s work. Russell isn´t shy about offering his own strong opinions (surprise) but after watching the main film, it´s hard to watch the same shots of Gaudí´s buildings in black-and-white.
In a wonderful find, Criterion also presents silent 16-mm footage taken by Hiroshi and his father Sofu on their 1959 trip to Barcelona, the trip that planted the seed of "Antonio Gaudí" in then 32 year-old Hiroshi´s mind. The basic blueprint of the 1984 film can be seen here 25 years earlier.
The disc also includes "Sculptures by Sofu – Vita" (17 min), a documentary by Hiroshi about the installation of a sculpture exhibition by his father Sofu at the Sogetsu Institute. It´s similar in style to "Antonio Gaudí" and quite absorbing.
Finally, we get an interview (13 min.) with architect Arata Isozaki, best known in America for designing the Los Angeles Museum of Contemporary Art (that´s MOCA, not LACMA in case you are confused). Isozaki had previously collaborated with Hiroshi on "The Face of Another." The interview was recorded in 2006 for Criterion.
The 36-page insert booklet kicks off with an essay by Dore Ashton, and includes a conversation with Hiroshi as well as a 1959 interview with Hiroshi and Sofu.
FILM VALUE
Shame on me. I wrote the main body of the review without once mentioning the extraordinary soundtrack by composer Tôru Takemitsu, an otherwordly discordant mix of popular and classical styles that provides the perfect accompaniment to the rigorous camera work. Takemitsu (who died in 1996) was one of Japan´s most accomplished film composers. He was a frequent collaborator with Hiroshi Teshigahara ("Woman in the Dunes," "The Face of Another") and also worked on landmark films such as Masaki Kobayashi´s "Kwaidan" and Akira Kurosawa´s "Ran." If I was even a halfway knowledgeable music critic, I´d write extensively about this great soundtrack, but it´s best to leave such work to the experts. I´ll simply say that I thought it was brilliant, and leave it at that.
Average user rating (1-5):
Not yet rated.
Not yet rated.
[release]23416[/release]