Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Superb documentary of a great American painter., May 21, 2000
"Thomas Hart Benton" is a revealing and immensely watchable biography of an artist who probably reached more Americans than any other. As Ken Burns ably proves, Benton's work captured the spirit and history of the average American man and woman. Combining samples of Benton's work, interviews with art critics, family, friends and enemies as well as footage of Benton himself, Burns presents a perfectly balanced approach to an artist's life and his statement of America as a struggling, vibrant land. You don't have to like Benton's art to like this film. In fact, several of the critics Burns interviewed for this one-hour documentary dismiss Benton as a serious artist. However, what they say about Benton is as revealing as the praise of critics who revere him. Perfectly balanced and entertaining.
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5.0 out of 5 stars
great narrative, August 27, 2004
What is remarkable is what a cohesive story this truly comprehensive bio of THB makes. As all documentarians do, Burns clearly had to help along/trace out the narrative thread, but the brilliance of this particular film is that the story of it just seems to emerge on its own.
Also, the story of THB's death is particularly moving. The entire film is a great intro to THB and is accessible for any audience. Even those who feel distanced from the "aloof" world of art will really enjoy this film. This film opened my eyes to actually appreciate art. Previously I was turned off completely by what I saw (and indeed often still see) as pretension.
SUMMARY: The film traces THB's childhood and early training, his time of formal training in Europe and life in NY. After that, THB rejected the elitist world of the NY art scene and instead went back to Missouri and became one of the triumvirate of American Regionalists (John Stueart Curry and Grant Wood were the other two--FYI GW painted American Gothic, the most famous American painting of a farmer and his daughter, though most people think it's his wife. Anyway, THB's work is in much the same vein--Americana). In his work, THB tried to capture America and all its ambivalences. That's why I say it's honest. Though critics might say he was too "Pollyanna"-ish, I would disagree, and I think you will after seeing this film.
I cannot recommend this film enough. Anyone who is interested in the concept of "America" (you know, the optimism, hope, dream, nightmare, utopia, distopia, democratic promise, dark underbelly--all the contradictory impulses within the myth of America) will find this a vital part of that dialogue.
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by Henry Adams
DVD ~ Keith David
DVD ~ Debbie Reynolds
DVD ~ Hal Holbrook
DVD ~ James Baldwin
