National Gallery (2014)

A documentary that goes inside one of the great museums of the world: The National Gallery in London.

Director:

Frederick Wiseman

Writer:

Frederick Wiseman

Stars:

Leanne Benjamin, Kausikan Rajeshkumar, Jo Shapcott

9 nominations.

Cast

Credited cast:
Leanne Benjamin	...	Ballet - Machina pour Metamorphosis
Kausikan Rajeshkumar	...	Récital - Ludwig van Beethoven, sonate pour piano Op. 31 No 3
Jo Shapcott	...	Ecrit et la par - Poème 'Calisto's song'
Edward Watson	...	Ballet - Machina pour Metamorphosis

Storyline

The National Gallery in London is one of the great museums of the world with 2400 paintings from the 13th to the end of the 19th century. Almost every human experience is represented in one or the other of the paintings. The sequences of the film show the public in various galleries; the education programs, and the scholars, scientists and curators, studying, restoring and planning the exhibitions. The relation between painting and storytelling is explored.

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Plot Keywords:

painting | national gallery | museum | art | reference to antoine watteau | 

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Genres:

Documentary

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Official Sites:

Offical site (Zipporah Films)

Country:

France USA UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

8 October 2014 (France)

Also Known As:

Εθνική Πινακοθήκη

Filming Locations:

National Gallery, Trafalgar Square, St James's, London, England, UK

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$10,049, 7 November 2014, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$100,100, 28 November 2014

Company Credits

Production Co:

Idéale Audience, Gallery Film

Technical Specs

Runtime:

180 min

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Soundtracks

Sonate pour piano Op. 31 no 3
Music by Ludwig van Beethoven
Performed by Kausikan Rajeshkumar, RCM
dans la cadre de Belle Shenkamn Music Program (correct is "Belle Shenkman music programme")
[Récital]

User Reviews

Another great Wiseman film

This was another of Wiseman's great films on institutions. The movie takes us inside the world of the National Gallery in London. The film does everything from show us guide lectures to the general public, specific talks for children, an art history discussion of the painting "Boulevard Montparnasse" specifically for blind people (where they feel raised images of the drawing), and talks about restoration. The main focus of the film is a special exhibition they had about Leonardo da Vinci. There is also a focus on the paintings of Hans Holbein, Poussaint, Turner and Titian. There is a very interesting segment where the restorers focus on a portrait of Rembrant, where an x-ray reveals another painting, at a 90º angle, made on the canvas at an earlier time. Discussions about whether and how to "market" the museum and how to project expenses are also shown. The film also shows a discussion with Wayne MacGregror (resident choreographer of the Royal Ballet) about a dance piece that will be performed in front of the Titian paintings and whether the dancers will need a sprung floor (the one in the museum is on concrete).Finally, the films ends with a short excerpt from this piece, danced by Leanne Benjamin and Ed Watson, in front of the Titian painting. Another excellent film by Wiseman and once you have made it past the 1.5 hour mark, by 3 hours, you feel immersed in the National Gallery world.