Customer Reviews

Edward Hopper: A National Gallery of Art Presentation

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Charlie is incorrect. The 30-minute version is the complete version. Some exhibitions have shown a 15-minute version, but there is no such thing as a 60-minute version.

This production is an excellent, fun overview of Hopper's work, not overly esoteric, and with touches of Steve Martin's trademark humor. (Martin is a Hopper collector.) Of particular interest to fans of Martin and Hopper is a brief section dealing with Martin's homage to Hopper in Pennies from Heaven.

If you want great detail, this may not be exactly what you're looking for. If you want an introduction or overview, this should work. The high-interest, visually appealing nature of this makes it particularly suitable for use in schools.

This DVD is only 30 minutes long but it tells a lot about Edward Hopper's life and gives insight into his paintings. Narrated by Steve Martin, we see things we may not have noticed in the stark, fascinating paintings. It is a way of seeing life as if we are looking through a window. A bonus section includes most of Hopper's paintings shown as a slideshow, captioned with where each presently is. After seeing his famous "Nighthawks" in the Chicago Institute of Art, I want to return to the art museums in Boston and Washington DC for more. When other artists of the age were painting abstractly, Hopper was painting simple life with deep feeling.

Comedian Steve Martin, who owns an extensive collection of modern art, including a Hopper, narrates this 30 minute look at one of the great painters of the 20th century. One of the extras is a slide show of every major Hopper work. Nice! Worth viewing if your local library has a copy.

This is an excellent insight into the work of Edward Hopper. He was a painter that did not follow trends or fit into any of the schools of his time. His paintings are timeless and universal. They influenced movies (some authors raise film noir) and they in turn influenced him.

I just want to correct an error in a previous review. Steve Martin in his narration speaks of the influence of Hopper in the sets of his movie "Pennies from Heaven" NOT "Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid".

I love Edward Hoppers work and was very happy to watch this and found it interesting as well as entertaining. Highly reccommended.

I saw the 30 minute version in the cinema at the National Gallery (for free) in conjunction with the excellent exhibition there, and a sign there said that a 60 minute version was occasionally shown (not at the time I was there, however). I can't understand why, if this item description is correct, they would release the shorter version on DVD when a longer version is available. I would wait for the 60 minute version to be released on DVD. By all means, do try to see the exhibition as well!