32 Short Films About Glenn Gould - Movie Review Example

32 Short Films about Glenn Gould Glenn Herbert Gould was born on 25 September1932, in Toronto, Canada. He started playing piano from the age of 3 and started regular practice with his mother when he turned 4 years of age. His zest for piano is such that at the age of 10, he enrolled himself in the Royal Conservatory of Toronto(Janet). He travelled and played music in front of the audience till the age of 31 and after that he took retirement. His last performance was in Los Angelesin April 1964.After that he took to recording, broadcasting and writing. It is widely known that he preferred playing his own piano and he once commented, “it is the best vehicle to express my ideas.” He has acclaimed various awards in his life and the movie made in his honor, i.e. 32 Short Films About Glenn Gould had 8 nominations and 3 wins. He died of a stroke on October 4, 1982, and was laid to rest in Mount Pleasant Cemetery in Toronto, Ontario, Canada(Janet). The mere idea of eccentricity is overrun in this movie as Gould was notoriously famous for not showing up on public performances. It is also said that his last performance at the stage was held when he was 31 years of age and more surprisingly, this event was held without disclosing the fact that this is going to be the last stage performance by him. It is not hard to imagine the reason why he disliked this idea and why he ventured into recording and broadcasting(Janet). The obvious reason for not showing up in public anymore is given in this movie and it says that he did not like the idea that some people had better seats and hence they could have a better view than the rest. This leads to the conclusion, that only some of the people could enjoy, while the rest enjoyed because they had paid for it. In the movie 32 Short Films About Glenn Gould, the director, Francois Girard, has broken a tradition of making movies on celebrities(Janet). Previously, such films were made as fiction and certain events were added to make it appear the film to be realistic. However, this film involves each detail that actually happened and much effort has been divested to arrange concerts, costumes, Gould’s all important family members and his tutor’s appearance; all have been noted down with extreme dexterity. In short, this movie can act as a true biography of the life of Glenn Gould. Gould had a habit of wetting his hands in warm water before performing and it has been noted that doing this gave him more confidence and comfort while playing piano. Adding to the eccentricities, he is seldom portrayed as wearing a coat even in blistering summers and that later came to be known as his signature appearance. Among his other eccentricities, he developed a habit of talking to his friends and family over a long period of time on the telephone while he seldom had a one to one conversation with them. Though, he had quit live performances, he still travelled a lot and composed music in various lodges and hotels. In fact he is one of the few pianists who have left behind a legacy of hundreds of recordings of his music. From the above two examples from his daily life, we come to know that he was an introvert yet an entertainer. Though, he refrained from company, as he withdrew from public audience and then his friends too, yet he found out a way to entertain people through his music. His fame was such that his performance of the Bach’s Goldberg Variations has left board on Voyager One on the solar system. Through these examples, we as audience see that Gould was a man of talent and someone who was so passionate about his music that he composed till he died(Janet). The character of Glenn Gould has been taken up by Colm Feore. Throughout the movie he is portrayed as a man in various stages of his life, from the very beginning till the very end. The pianist is shown as a calm and a poised man who is intent upon hearing upon each and every single voice uttered. There are various scenes in the movie which show that Gould is sitting in a public place and he observes people intently and especially when some music is being played in the background. Midway in the movie, there is a scene which involves Gould sitting in a roadside dinner arena where his composed soundtrack is being played. That soundtrack is so jumbled with the noise of all the other people and their conversation, but the audience is still able to catch the beauty of it. It seems that the noise was a part of the soundtrack. In another scene, Gould is seen to be resting in a hotel room where asks the chamber maid to listen to his composition and while she’s hearing the music, he calmly sits back and notice each and every expression of hers. Though, the movie does not tell most of the facets of his personality, they have to be dug out with a clear understanding of a sensitive man. In the movie there is another scene where he’s shown to be playing piano not very far from his nose. This shows the intensity that he felt while playing piano and that he also desired in the audience who listened to his compositions. Considering the time period in which Gould lived, he is on the threshold of Modernism and Post-Modernism. The Modern era or the 20th century is marked by the two World Wars and since their impact was felt in every sphere of life, it had its effects on art, music and literature. Modernism and Post Modernism are more like attitudes to life rather than just impacts on life. Since Gould started playing piano when he was 3 years old, hence we can say that he started off as a Modernist(Janet). Now, Modernists basically defied the Romantic and Victorian hypocrisy and hence sought to bring life closer to reality. That is why in the movie 32 Short Films About Glenn Gould also shows Gould’s dislike of Liszt, Schumann, and Chopin. Since, he was also a Post-Modernist he experimented rather than followed a school of thought, as it says, Among the individual glimpses that must be mentioned here: "Practice," in which Gould resonates to his own thrilling impression of Beethoven's "Tempest" Sonata without ever touching a keyboard; "Truck Stop," in which he hears and seems to orchestrate the voices of people around him; "Personal Ad," in which he toys with the language of the lovelorn, then chuckles at the thought of ever representing himself in that way; "Diary of One Day," a stunning compilation of formulas, medical notations, heartbeats and detailed X-rays of a person playing the piano.” (Maslin. 1994) This movie also shows one of the Bach’s collection which was played on the Voyager One when the satellite was about to be set to tour the solar system. It has a metaphorical meaning and on the other hand, it can also be reflected as Gould’s Involvement in the music so much that it reflects a certain era of the time in which he lived. The metaphorical meaning can be that Gould never belonged to this universe, and maybe that is why he was not able to mix well in the crowd rather he remained engrossed in his work. Also, the music that he composed was full of life and energy, not to forget the emotions that he caught. Hence, it can be said that his music, if not completely, reflects the era in which he thrived and that his compositions will live long after his name does(Janet). This film 32 Short Films About Glenn Gould is based on the Goldberg Variations which was also composed by Gould. This movie sets a new trend in making movies on famous celebrities as it has been shot in 31 shots and the last shot is dedicated to the credits and the people who made it happen(Janet). As explained earlier that the film centers Gould as a prodigy and shows important snippets from his life from the age 3 when he started playing piano. The director of the film Girard says, “As Gould was such a complex character, the biggest problem was to find a way to look at his work and deal with his visions. The film is built of fragments, each one trying to capture an aspect of Gould. There is no way of putting Gould in one box. The film gives the viewer 32 impressions of him. I didn't want to reduce him to one dimension.” It is to be noted that all these 32 fragments do not follow in a chronological order and not all of them are full of vigor and passion of music, sometimes Gould is just seen to be listening to the music intently or he is talking to someone on the telephone. These incidents are there to show that how intently did Gould observes things around him and though he was eccentric but he wasn’t an alien. There’s also another scene where a bar tender follows Gould as he steps out of the bar and Gould then drops a plastic bag into a trash can. The bartender picks up the bag and finds out that there was nothing in that bag except some old newspapers. This shows the fan following and the level of regard that people had for him(Janet). Most importantly, this movie does not divulge any sort of secrets, does not explore his sexual life nor tells any gossips. It is to be noted that this movie is made from a subjective point of view and so that’s how none of the above mentioned facets were included in this movie. Lastly, this movie is made to show the greatness of Gould and just as the bartender follows his the director and the audience finds themselves following Gould. Works Cited Janet, Maslin. "Review/Film: Thirty-Two Short Films About Glenn Gould; A Musical Eccentric's Quirks And Talent." The New York Times (1994). Read More