Product Details

• Actors: John Adams, Peter Sellars
• Directors: John Else
• Format: Color, DVD, NTSC
• Language: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: DOCURAMA
• DVD Release Date: February 24, 2009
• Run Time: 92 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B001IXXYB0
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #127,483 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• For more information about "Wonders Are Many: The Making of "Doctor Atomic"" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

WONDERS ARE MANY:MAKING OF DOCTOR ATO - DVD Movie

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "In our Century, Some Things in our Society must remain Unspeakable"--Samuel Beckette, October 21, 2008

By 

K. Draper (oklahoma) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Wonders Are Many (DVD)

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"Wonders are Many" is a fascinating film about the making of "Dr. Atomic", a 2005 opera by composer John Adams. The opera focuses on the complex and genius physicist, Robert Oppenheimer and his orchestration of the building of the atomic bomb. The opera specifically concentrates on the last 24 hours leading up to the actual detonation of the first test bomb at the "Trinity", Los Alamos, New Mexico in 1945. The film not only depicts the actual processes of the production, but also interweaves much historical, scientific, ethical and even poetic aspects of this crucial moment in time. This film, just as in the opera itself, begins and end with the heightened tension of ticking---the countdown to the Zero Hour.

I found this film to be very exciting, even though I have not yet had a chance to view the film of the Opera. History, art, physics and moral questions are beautifully interwoven in a way that helps the viewer not only learn many interesting facts, but provides much food for thought. "Wonders are Many" is a wonderfully creative treatment of a time period which we "all know about but don't really know". Although it happened over 60 years ago, this event holds urgent currency in modern time. War and destruction continue to rage in our world today, despite Oppenheimer's hope and belief that his creation would lead to a "war to end all wars".

Bravo to all involved for the powerful opera, "Dr. Atomic" and this fascinating film, "Wonders are all Around." I count down the time until I get to own and view the DVD of the opera.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I was riveted, November 8, 2008

By 

Diane Kistner (Georgia) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Wonders Are Many (DVD)

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I was surprised at how riveting this documentary was. I wasn't familiar with Peter Sellars' work before this, and I was so impressed with his creativity and sensitivity to the nuances of the history and the opera, Dr. Atomic, that seeks to capture its lingering, terrible profundity. (And what an interesting character Sellars is! Even his hair "do" suggests how hair-raising a moment it was when that first bomb went off.)

I couldn't resist thinking that the real Oppenheimer looked like Gene Wilder's Willy Wonka, dreamy and sweet and shocking and scary at the same time; that association cast the whole documentary in an almost trippish light for me; and the whole Los Alamos nuclear experience WAS very much like a "seeing God" acid trip, replete with inspirations and depletions and bizarre too-present flashbacks that persist to this very day. I think Sellars and Adams nailed it: One trip and the human race would never be the same.

I couldn't take my eyes off this brilliant blast of a documentary. Now I MUST have Dr. Atomic for my DVD collection!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Many Wonders Indeed!, October 27, 2008

By 

G P Padillo "paolo" (Portland, ME United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Wonders Are Many (DVD)

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Continuing in my current obsession with John Adams' new opera, "Doctor Atomic" I recently learned of a documentary filmed at the time the opera was being created in San Francisco. Of course, I had to have it. Now I do.


What a fascinating film this is. It comes at you from two interesting perspectives as both historical documentary and a major art project. In easily digestable format director Jon Else combines interviews, rehearsal footage and commentary by the cast and creators of Doctor Atomic - weaving in the story of the development of the atom bomb and the Manhattan Project. All of it is narrated by the mellow voice of Eric Owens, the baritone who has sung (I beleive) every performance of the role of General Groves.


The marriage of these two stories into a cohesive whole works wonders itself, as a perfect balance is struck between following the creation of a new opera and the history of nuclear physics involved in creating the bomb. For those whom this sounds bizarre, to say the least, let me say, I can't think of anyone who's interest would not be held - or even riveted by the manner in which its done.


There is fascinating interview footage with Oppenheimer himself, disturbing shots and clips of bombs testings (not easy to watch) and one truly gets a sense of the project as well as a sense of the bizarre community that occupied Trinity. It was interesting as well to see and hear the singers approaching their music in the first rehearsals, taking suggestions from the composer who was still very much working on the piece, changing things as they went along. Peter Sellars can bother some folk, but his infectiousness and thoughtfulness clearly command the respect of all of his cast members, as well as the composer himself.


Especially moving for me was seeing Finley rehearsing his big first act aria for the first time . . . this piece simply destroying me every time. To hear his own connection with it, how he wishes it had been something he had actually written, speaks volumes about his identification with the piece. It's overwhelming.


It is unnerving watching film clips of bombs 60 years ago - then seeing life- sized props being brought into the War Memorial Opera House (the name of the building really taking an unusually strong symbolism here).


There was some REAL backstage drama which I remembered reading about when it happened, but since forgotten (til now, of course!). Tom Randle - a favorite of many of ours - and portraying Robert Wilson in the opera was let go a little more than a week before opening night, replaced by his understudy, Thomas Glenn. The scene of Randle reading the announcement is one of those horrifying things every performer dreads.


I can't stress enough how unusual a movie this is - very powerful on all accounts. If I've a gripe it's only a wish for some extras, deleted scenes, photo galleries, more bio material, etc. Other than that, it's one amazing movie.