Thirty Two Short Films About Glenn Gould (1993)

User Rating:

7.4/10   

Director:

François Girard

Writers:

François Girard (screenplay) &
Don McKellar (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

26 November 1993 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Drama | Music

Tagline:

The sound of genius.

Plot:

A collection of vignettes highlighting different aspects of the life, work, and character of the acclaimed Canadian classical pianist.

Plot Keywords:

Glenn Gould | Goldberg Variations | Piano | Stock Exchange | Superstition

Awards:

7 wins & 3 nominations

Cast

Colm Feore	...	Glenn Gould
Derek Keurvorst	...	Gould's father
Katya Ladan	...	Gould's mother
Devon Anderson	...	Glenn age 3
Joshua Greenblatt	...	Glenn age 8
Sean Ryan	...	Glenn age 12
Kate Hennig	...	Chambermaid
Sean Doyle	...	Porter
Sharon Bernbaum	...	Female guide
Don McKellar	...	Concert promoter
David Hughes	...	Stagehand
Carlo Rota	...	CBC producer
Peter Millard	...	CBC Engineer
John Dolan	...	CBC Assistant Engineer
Allegra Fulton	...	Waitress

Also Known As:

32 Curtas Metragens Sobre Glenn Gould (Portugal)
Glenn Gould - 32 lyhytelokuvaa (Finland)
Trente-deux films brefs sur Glenn Gould (Canada: French title)

Runtime:

98 min

Country:

Portugal | Canada | Finland | Netherlands

Language:

English | French

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Canada:PG (Ontario) | Australia:G | Finland:S | Spain:T | UK:U

Filming Locations:

Paris, France

Company:

Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC)

Trivia:

The structure of the film is based on the structure of the piece that Glenn Gould is most famous for playing, Bach's Goldberg Variations. The Goldberg Variations are 32 short pieces of music that are usually played together.

Quotes:

Glenn Gould: Wanted: friendly, companionably reclusive, socially unacceptable, alcoholically abstemious, tirelessly talkative, zealously unzealous, spiritually intense, minimally turquoise, maximally ecstatic moon, seeks moth or moths with similar qualities for purposes of telephonic seduction...

Movie Connections:

Spoofed in "The Simpsons: 22 Short Films About Springfield (#7.21)" (1996)

Soundtrack:

Variations XXVI & XXVII from 32 Variations on an original theme in C minor

Classic for those who don't understand classical.

I have never really been taken in by classical music. When I first saw this film, I thought, oh! THAT'S why people like it. So I went and bought a few Gould CD's, listened to them a few times, and went back to jazz and punk shortly thereafter.

This film is an exceptional piece. The music is certainly the most important aspect of the film, but it so strongly highlights the character of Gould (who was one wacky Canuck), and the cinematography, that as a package, I found it a moving experience that superceded the music.

Basically a series of vignettes, with no coherent plot, but rather snippets of docu-drama, interviews, and a couple of animated sequences (one quite good, the other detracts entirely from the whole), this is a film meant probably not for fans of classical, but an introduction to the possibilities and drama of the virtuoso for media-children.

Although primarily another "crazy genius" film, it is truly a stunning piece overall. I strongly recommend this for any collection, no matter one's musical inclinations.

Although primarily another "crazy genious" film, it is truly a stunning piece overall. I strongly recommend this for any collection, no matter ones musical inclinations.