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Rivers and Tides
Portrait of Andy Goldsworthy, an artist whose specialty is ephemeral sculptures made from elements of nature.
Release : | 2001 |
Rating : | 7.9 |
Studio : | WDR, YLE, Mediopolis Film- und Fernsehproduktion, |
Crew : | Director of Photography, Director, |
Cast : | |
Genre : | Documentary |
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Reviews
I like the storyline of this show,it attract me so much
one of my absolute favorites!
Admirable film.
An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.
A very engaging documentary about Scottish artist Andy Goldsworthy, whose work consists mostly of ephemeral sculptures made from elements from nature. His work is made of rocks, leaves, grass, ice, etc., that gets blown away when the tide arrives at the beach or the wind blows at the field. Thus, most of Goldsworthy's works don't really last, except as photos or films of what they were. Now, one can argue that Goldsworthy's works are a reflection of mortality, or words to that effect, but isn't it easier to say that what he does is just beautiful art. And at a time when the stereotype about artists is that they are mostly bitter, pretentious, often mentally unstable people who live in decrepit urban settings, Goldsworthy seems to be the opposite: a stable, unpretentious, family oriented person who loves nature and lives in a small village in Scotland (of course, I'm sure those are the same reasons why he's shunned by some people on the art world who found his works fluffy or superficial).
I really enjoyed learning about the artist profiled in this film and, while I admire the filmmaker's laid back approach to his subject, I often felt that there was such an even pace to the whole affair that one could take all the scenes of this film, place them in random order, and end up with basically the same film.This is not to say that Goldsworthy's art isn't remarkable in it's own right. The painstaking process through which he constructs his installations out of found natural elements is itself beautiful and instructive. The music is inoffensive but keeps things in the same low-key arena as the other elements of the film. I wish I had seen this in the theater, though. The poetry of Goldsworthy's work and process would've resonated all that more deeply.
This documentary on the temporary art work Andy Goldsworthy is like watching one of the rivers he builds near, sometimes it enthralls you and other times it bores you depending on your mood. I've tried this film two or three times now and I can not get into it. While I find the film extremely beautiful and well made, its wandering nature dulls my senses to the point of sleep and I find that just about the time we go home with him I turn off the DVD and swear I'll pick it up again later, though I never do. The problem for me is that for a good portion of the first part of the film, the part I've watched repeatedly, we don't really get to see anything other than Andy creating. This is all well and good, but it doesn't explain why anyone would commission this guy to go onto the shores of Nova Scotia and build things no one will ever see since time and tide will destroy them. I know the answers come later and I know that much of what comes later is quite beautiful, having jumped ahead, but the pacing seems completely off and twenty minutes in I'm ready for a nap. I'm probably no judge of this, but I think its worth a try, even if I'm not sure that I really have gotten anything out of this film. Ah well, maybe next time.
So, not being a poet myself, I have no real way to convey the beauty and simplicity of this documentary. The effortless motion of Goldsworthy, as he molds natures beauty into his own work is captivating. Watch him stick reeds together in a web hanging from a tree in a close up for a few minutes while he speaks of his work, and then receive the payoff when the camera cuts to the wide shot. Be amazed by the ease with which he operates and then realize the futility when a slight breeze knocks down the entire web. The genius of Goldsworthy seemingly knows no bounds as his inspiration is nature itself. It is in the essential change of nature where his work, though complete in its own sphere, is made whole.