Product Details

• Actors: Richard Clarkin, Gordon Masten, Maggie Huculak, Stuart Hughes
• Directors: Trevor Blumas
• Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Digital Sound, Dolby, Full length, Full Screen, Surround Sound, NTSC
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Repnet
• VHS Release Date: April 1, 2000
• Run Time: 55 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B00004SZZP
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #254,879 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

From Parents' Choice®

The Artists' Specials are six sensational new hour-long family dramas from Devine Entertainment, the folks behind the award-winning children's drama Beethoven Lives Upstairs and other graceful profiles of historical figures.

Normally, the term 'children's drama' would send your average 10-year-old screaming from the TV room. Children's dramas based on the lives of famous painters? Pass the Nintendo. However, my 10-year-old daughter was completely enthralled by this series, which profiled Impressionist masters such as Degas, Monet, Renoir and Mary Cassatt. What hooks this almost impossible to hook young audience is Devine's device of revealing these historical figures through the eyes of a child.

Obviously, liberties are taken; Rembrandt and Goya didn't really pal around with tweens. "The fictional characters are always the young people," says David Devine, president of Devine Entertainment. "But often they're based on young people found in some of these artists' more famous paintings."

Monet: Shadow and Light stars Stuart Hughes as the 19th century French Impressonist. He and his starving artist pal Pierre Auguste Renoir (Richard Clarkin) stay one step ahead of their creditors with the help of Daniel, a budding young artist (Trevor Blumas).

Next time your child is looking to try something new, steer them towards these excellent Artists' Specials. A 2000 Parents' Choice® Gold Award.

Reviewed by Bill Brioux, Parents' Choice® 2000

Product Description

Monet: Shadow and Light presents a rich portrayal of the trials of a struggling but stubborn Claude Monet and how a boy with budding talent shows him the importance of family. Set in 1869, five years before the Impressionist movement was recognized, 29 year-old Monet paints his view of the world while trying to support his young family with his art. Settling on the Seine near Paris, Monet discovers landscapes and people that inspire his art. Unfortunately, he also has to deal with a lack of understanding from his father, his creditors, and especially from harsh critics whose narrow-minded attitudes thwart acceptance by the art world.

Created and produced by David Devine and Richard Mozer from a screenplay by Susin Nielsen (Degrassi Junior High), Monet: Shadow and Light was shot entirely in and around Montreal. Scenes depicting the village of Saint-Michel were shot at some original 17th century houses in Montreal^Rs Cap St-Jacques. La Grenouillhre was scrupulously rebuilt in Parc Angrignon, where the narrow lake stood in for the Seine and the surrounding woods for Fontainbleu. Even Monet^Rs famous studio-boat was recreated with exact accuracy using fishermen^Rs dorys. The film follows HBO's presentations last year of Degas and the Dancer and Mary Cassatt: American Impressionist, the first two productions in THE ARTISTS' SPECIALS series. Degas and the Dancer was recently awarded the prestigious Humanitas Prize in the Children's Writing category. Future programs in the series will feature Rembrandt, Goya and Winslow Homer.

Claude Monet was nineteen years old when he left home for Paris. He was quickly disillusioned by the rigid principles of the art establishment, preferring the relaxed art classes given by Charles Gleyre, where he met Pierre-Auguste Renoir and Alfred Sisley. They formed an immediate attachment through their intense dedication to their new art.

Between 1869 (the year the film is set) and 1874, when the first Impressionist show was received poorly by the critics, Monet, Renoir, Sisley and the other members of the Impressionist movement painted every aspect of rural and urban life. Monet's favourite locales included the Fountainbleu forest, La Grenouillhre, on the Seine and the unusual studio boat. Monet was poor and completely unaware that within these five years the Impressionist movement would evolve to its peak. Even in this "starving artist" period, Monet's paintings never became sombre. Monet finally achieved financial independence in 1890. He is best known for showing the world the fleeting effects of light and shadow. Monet is arguably the greatest of the Impressionist painters.

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Monet: Shadow & Light, August 16, 2010

By 

AZ teacher - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Monet: Shadow & Light [VHS] (VHS Tape)

This is a great video for both young and older students. The action is well paced to keep their interest, yet very informative. One of the better videos in this series.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Moet comes to life, September 3, 2006

By 

Art Teacher (Franklin, TN) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Monet: Shadow & Light [VHS] (VHS Tape)

As an elementary art teacher I have viewed this film at least 12 times, and I never get tired of watching it with my students. It is appealing to ages 7 through Middle School. The film brings Monet to life and explains all of the important information about Monet's development of his Impressionist style. It is also a great story about relationships. Learning becomes fun and entertaining with wholesome movies like this. The entire series is very well presented.