Thirty Two Short Films about Glenn Gould (1993)
Genre: Drama / Music
Duration: 98 minuten
Alternative title: 32 Short Films about Glenn Gould
Country:
Canada / Portugal / Netherlands / Finland
Directed by: François Girard
Stars: Colm Feore, Derek Keurvorst and Katya Ladan
IMDb score:
7,3 (4.260)
Releasedate: 26 November 1993
Thirty Two Short Films about Glenn Gould plot
"The sound of genius."
In one of the 32 films about the Canadian pianist Glenn Gould, entitled Forty-Nine, the artist (played by Colm Feore) tells that he is so afraid of turning 49, after all: 4 and 9 add up to 13. We know meanwhile that Gould's fear came a year too soon: Gould died at the age of 50, in 1982. In 1993 François Girard made the biopic '32 Films about...' In 32 sketches an image of the life of the master pianist is presented. Some deal with important episodes in his life, others depict his vision of music, and in still others his friends speak.
Actors and actresses
Glenn Gould
Gould's Father
Young Glenn Age 3
Young Glenn Age 8
Young Glenn Age 12
Chambermaid
Porter
Female Guide
Concert Promoter
Stagehand
Reviews & comments
lngrid
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- 1234 messages
- 554 votes
Changing movie. It is a compilation of 32 short films, which clearly form a whole. But not every video is equally good or interesting. Some of these are interviews with people who knew him, but there are also animations, atmospheric images and also quite a lot of scenes with Colm Feore as Gould.
Gould was a bizarre personality and that comes out nicely in this film. I think that makes this film worth watching even for non-classical music connoisseurs. It's just a really nice portrait of a remarkable person.
You can see, for example, how he looked forward to concerts, why he stopped playing in front of an audience and only made studio recordings, his perfectionism, but also his social life (he lived almost as a hermit), his obsession with his health, the enormous number of pills he took, his fears. All in all, I think that makes for a fairly complete portrait.
Colm Feore is varyingly convincing as Gould. Where he falls short in my opinion is especially in scenes where he is absorbed in the music, eg where he dances or where his reaction to the music and close-ups of his face are filmed. To me it all looked a bit fake and contrived. Not as someone who really understands and experiences the music. Well, I guess that's a personal thing.
All in all, of course, the film is also an ode to Gould, but that's not a bad thing. I enjoyed looking at it.
Translated from Dutch · View original
AustinSmith
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- 1 messages
- 0 votes
The fear of turning 49 due to the superstition of the numbers 4 and 9 adding up to 13, as mentioned in the film "Forty-Nine" about Glenn Gould, is an intriguing insight into the pianist's mindset. It adds a layer of superstition to the narrative surrounding Gould's life. The biopic "32 Films about..." directed by François Girard offers a multifaceted portrayal of Gould, capturing significant episodes, his musical philosophy, and perspectives from his friends. Overall, it provides a comprehensive view of the enigmatic life of the renowned Canadian pianist.
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