IN A NUTSHELL:
Any way one looks at, this was a very well done documentary. Yes, it did stress his life and misdeeds. Apparently, his deeds and misdeeds were the mortar that his designs sprang from.
WHAT IT IS:
Essentially, through this chronological biography of a sort, we see the development of the man being mirrored by the development of his ideas of how to make interior space for living, worshipping, and working more civilized and, in many ways, more functional and ergonomic.
Yes, of course, there were failures, but so many of his designs were experiments, and experiments are prototypes, and protoypes are invariably flawed. Just look at the auto industry! Though he was a self-promoter, he did not stoop to assembly line construction. Even his modest designs were filled with civilized and novel ideas that actually brought about the advent of the ranch house. His constuction innovations integrated into the hotel in Tokyo, which survived the great Earthquake, set the standard for building codes that are today used around the world to save lives in Earthquake-prone regions. His use of sites to maximize set-backs and combine living space into nature as harmoniously as possible is still at the cutting edge of site design planning, urban planning, and architectural design methodologies.
It is truly a shame that he had a bumpy ride through life, but for all his personal problems and the human wreckage the seemed connected to it, he gave the world as a whole much more than he took from it. Though he may have seemed an underachiever at times, in the long run, his achievements will be more connected to the effect he has had on the field of architecture and civilization which have been improved through his efforts. In essence, one can not judge Frank Lloyd Wright by the 769 buildings he built, but rather by the millions of structures that now incorporate many of his innovations and are safer and more liveable for it.
To tell the story, they used an eclectic group of witnesses ranging from a 100-year-old son to former fellowship members, plus grandsons, critics and collegues. Of course, they also showed parts of his interview with Mike Wallace back in 1957 and some home movies too.
CONCLUSION:
As evidenced in his personal life, he was a very emotional man. Combining his strong emotions with his skill as an architect helped him create designs that were works of art, like the Guggenheim. His emotions blended into his designs to instill a desirable emotional effect on visitors or owners of his creations. Some people described it as a spiritual experience. In Columbus, Indiana there are a large number of structures that were built by Wright and his followers. There are tours through Columbus showing these marvels off and even a lovely park [Mill Race Park] that somehow makes 100 acres adjacent to a noisy highway and a polluted stream into an Eden that seems like 1,000 pristine acres.
ABOUT THE DVD:
In two parts on one DVD, it was 146 minutes long. It also contained several interviews and it was very helpful to see the perspective of filmaker Ken Burns and company.
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