Customer Reviews

Glenn Gould: Hereafter [Blu-ray]

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Mr. Morrisson is a terrific reviewer - and I hate to disagree with him so strongly... but I want to put forward to consideration at least the possibility that this Monsaigneon film about Glenn Gould's Ghost (more or less) is an awful piece of shlock and surely (hopefully) Monsaigneon's worst effort. (I don't much like his Boulanger one either, but that's a.) an early work and b.) not nearly as tacky as this hagiography here.)

I won't say that this film *is* terrible, but I think it will be terrible to many viewers who approach this with high hopes of learning more about GG, the person (or musician, for that matter). Anyone who has read and enjoyed Kevin Bazzana's "A Wondrous Strange", for example, might approach this one with caution. Why? Well, because it's a hooky and kookey collection of reminiscenses about Gould by people who are in love with the idea of Gould. A Russian lady had her rheumaticism cured by listening to Gould on the radio, an Italian lady talks to (and even kisses? I don't remember) his spirit and statue in Toronto... it's the kind of mystisizing of Gould that will seem (legitimately) creepy to a lot of people. I could barely watch the whole thing. 'Tis tacky and really has nothing to do with Gould but rather the wackiness that he inspired in others - others who didn't even know him.

For what it is worth: I have talked to a friend of Glenn Gould's who has written prolifically about him (and edited his letters), who similarly shuddered in disgust about this film.

With so much visual material that is left of Gould himself (CBC material, his radio shows et al.), this can't be considered as seriously contributing to our understanding of Gould. I'd much rather recommend the "Thirty Two Short Films about Glenn Gould" semi-filmography.

To those who feel inclined to agree with the other, very positive reviews: I wish not to be so ungraceful as to take a bone from a dog... but caveat emptor!

This DVD is self-recommending if only because it is by our leading music documentarian, Bruno Monsaingeon, and is about one of music's legendary figures, Glenn Gould. Add to that the fact that Monsaingeon and Gould were friends for thirty years and that Monsaingeon had already made a number of previous documentaries about Gould, and you have a recipe for a great film. Monsaingeon is a working musician (a violinist) as well and his ability to understand the musical aspects of Gould's life is beyond question. (There is even a clip of Monsaingeon playing first violin in a snippet of Gould's Opus 1, his String Quartet.) Gould, of course, was himself a documentarian and he certainly left behind miles of film in which he plays, discourses about music and all manner of other things. There are even home movies of Gould as a young teen playing on the family piano.

One charming conceit of the film is that Monsaingeon found five 'ordinary people' whose lives had been touched in special ways by Gould's playing and he filmed them in various activities connected with that. For instance, there is a former rock musician who goes pretty far to commemorate her emotional connection with Gould -- I won't spoil the surprise by telling you what it was she did. There is a Russian woman who develops a missionary fervor about exposing others to Gould's music. There is an Italian woman who makes a pilgrimage to Toronto and has a dialog with the startlingly lifelike statue of Gould that sits outside the Gould studio there.

One might wonder what more could be said about Gould after all the previous books and films about him. It is a tribute to Monsaingeon's art that he found a way to approach his subject in a new and fascinating manner. He constructs the documentary as if it were being narrated by Gould himself. Gould's fabled Lincoln Continental becomes a character in the proceedings, traveling through ravishingly photographed northern Canadian forests as we hear Gould discourse in a voice-over on various things. There are numerous video and audio clips, some never seen before, that give us a taste of both his playing and his thinking. We hear and see him play music not generally associated with him -- especially by those who think of Gould as being a Bach specialist -- music by Hindemith, Chopin, Weber, Beethoven, Mendelssohn, and others, even Gould's quirky Mozart.

Gould's personal eccentricities are not emphasized but are not avoided either. One does, however, come away, yet again, reminded of George Szell's famous remark about him, 'That nut is a genius!'. Gould was an utterly unique and important figure and it is no wonder that almost twenty-five years after his tragic death at 50, in 1982, his life is still being explored and celebrated.

So, even if you've seen other films about Gould, including those by Monsaingeon, you will be rewarded by watching this film.

Strongly recommended.

Scott Morrison

I pre-ordered this as soon as I was able, being a Huge fan of Mr. Gould, and not disappointed in the least. Those whose roots with Gould are not quite that deep yet, I would suggest some of the other DVD titles listed here on Amazon first. This isn't your typical biography produced for the masses, but more focused on Gould's craft & thoughts. There are many unscripted scenes that had been previously been introduced to the editor, where you witness Mr.Gould seeking perfection in the recording studio. I could go on & on, but would like to thank Bruno Monsaingeon for producing another treasure about Glen Gould. A must have!

Glenn Gould has become a cottage industry, I guess. What does it matter, when films this fine come along. Bruno Monsaigneon strikes gold with a fresh look at a music giant. All Monsaigneon's films are gems. (his film of Menuhin's return to Russia - the patience and vision sticks with me. It should be made available again.) Monsaigneon arranges his films like subtle puzzles, like paintings. Hereafter is exquisite in that way. Most of the footage used is new to me, and that's saying something since video Gouldiana is abundant, most of it repetitive in varying degrees. Hereafter's colors and sounds are modern and true, even kindly, in their way, as Gould was in his. Monsaigneon divulges a keen cinematic palette so authoritatively it seems nonchalant. Rather much like Gould's playing. His honest affection for Gould is evident. It is, moreover, adoration of Gould's art that sings and makes this film what it is. Gould's playing throughout is stupendous, baronial, overwhelming. I've never seen footage like it! A few high wires, and always that truth-telling sound that was Gould's alone, that wins souls. Absolute recommendation to both acolyte and novice. Thanks Monsaigneon for your painstaking work. And for always looking after Glenn Gould. This piece is a winner - don't hesitate.

I only know Gould through his recordings, so I looked forward to this film to tell me what he was like. It sort of does. I only object to the interviews with fans, which are very boring, indeed. Several are shot at length discussing how they worship Gould. Enough of that. There is quite a lot of footage of Gould at the keyboard, swaying in circles and humming to himself. Way too much of that is here and should have been cut. I was surprised at how much early footage apparently exists of Gould from the early 50s and beyond. I would have enjoyed more of that, since he was in his prime then. We really learn nothing about his personal life, either, zilch. Nor do we find out how and why he died at age 50. Finally, the film is probably a little too reverential for its own good.

If you are not familiar with Glen Gould, this is a great introduction. I was spellbound, and it wet my appetite for more. I bought The Goldberg Variations DVD very soon after.

If on the other hand you are as skeptical and cynical as Gould was (and he attracts many such admirers), then you will probably not enjoy it. It is sentimental and far from an objective scholarly work. I think the 1 star reviewer makes some good points, but he is a little harsh. If I read that review before I bought it, I may have been put off from buying, and I dont think that would have served me well.

In my opinion, this DVD is a must see. I would recommend buying it, watching it (a few times), and then passing it on to someone else. I have watched both this and The Goldberg Variations many times, and although Hereafter made a strong first impression, in the long run, The Goldberg Variations is the only of the two I watch now - unless of course a keen visitor comes over.

This is a DVD which captures the spirit of Glenn Gould. He was a musician who transcended the accepted, the mechanical, the artificial. He was one with the composer. Mr. Monsaingeon successfully conveys these ideas through his film.
Among the treasures of this work are some excerpts where Gould conducts elephants in a zoo, or when private recordings of his practice sessions are revealed (exposing his substantial voice accompaniment to his piano playing).

It is a DVD of importance and inspiration.

What most struck me about this film is how well the filmmaker fit visual images to Gould's music. This brought Gould's music alive and put some of it in a new perspective. As an instance of the latter is the ending of the film which was accompanied by Gould's extremely slow rendition of a transcription of Wagner's Siegfried Idyll. When I first heard this piece I thought the slow pace was just too exaggerated and while interesting and beautiful in its own way, overall I wouldn't have wanted to listen to it very often. But in this film the music, recorded at what turned out to be the very end of Gould's life, became a moving valedictory - sad but beautiful. The same, also illustrated in this film, for the very slow versions of the Aria from the Goldberg Variations in his last recording. The coincidence of Gould's opening of his career and closing of his career with the Goldberg Variations was utilized to poignant effect by the filmmaker. The film is truly a work of art and I highly recommend it.

As to the criticisms of one reviewer here, none of his critical comments had anything to do with how I responded to the film. Sure, it is hagiographical, but so what? We know that GG was not a perfected human being - despite being a genius - and there are plenty of films, particularly the excellent "The Genius Within" which reveal the sad contradictions in his life. But personally, it was a chance viewing of Gould in "One the Record" and "Off the Record" on TV which inspired me to learn all I could about GG and to listen to as many of his recordings as I could obtain. Beyond his unique playing, his unique intelligence and personality had an awakening effect on me, just as with so many of the people in this film. It was as a result of discovering Gould that I had a new awakening to classical music generally. Ultimately I found myself in greatest sympathy with Franz Schubert (his music and his soul) but it was Gould who opened the door to me for a new appreciation of classical music. As this film shows, discovering Glenn Gould has been a life-changing event for a great many people. If you are one of them, you'll enjoy this film immensely.

I believe that most people either adore Glenn Gould or cannot stand his style and interpretations. I for one still cherish my original Goldberg Variations LP recording!
This film is worth viewing and listening to because: Gould explains ever so many things regarding how and why he recorded music and performed music in the manner which made him an Icon during the height of his career. I happen to consider Bruno Monsaingeon a wonderful maker of art films and this is one of his best.

It is truly an intriguing "document". A genius is portrayed well but also his not particularly stable personality characteristics.
That does not take anything away from the musical creativity of the man. I have always enjoyed his piano playing but now I am able to appreciate it more. A well-done documentary.