Hiroshi Teshingahara - " Anotonio Gaudi " Image Entertainment - Region 0

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S E A R C H D V D B e a v e r

directed by Hiroshi Teshigahara
Japan 1984

Hiroshi Teshigahara's "Antonio Gaudi" is a spare, astonishing, and haunting documentary on the designs of famed turn of the century Spanish architect, Antonio Gaudi (1852-1926). A profound influence on the Spanish art nouveau movement, Gaudi's sensual adaptation of Gothic, Middle Eastern, and traditional architecture is a truly a unique artistic vision. Teshigahara immerses the viewer into Gaudi's unorthodox vision using lingering takes and mesmerizing panning sequences, accompanied by an equally eclectic soundtrack that vacillates from lyrical symphony to disquieting near silence. The film, largely structured without verbal narrative, unfolds as a figurative mosaic of Gaudi's early influences and nascent vision in the mid 1800's – from an overview of the Catalonian culture, to the contemporary works of other prominent architects, to the medieval art and architecture pervasive in the region. The first building featured is the Gaudi and Cornet collaborative project, the Casa Batllo (1904-1906) in Barcelona – a bizarre fusion of organic and inorganic, primitive and modern architecture. The design of the second building, Casa Mila de Pedrera (1906-1910) intended to function as a residential complex, takes its inspiration from the structure of a beehive and emulates the motion of the waves. The Casa Vicens (1883) and the House of Gruell (1884-1887) further exemplify his medieval influences, from the ornate floral work (Casa Vicens) to the elaborate dragon entrance (House of Gruell). Gruell Park (1900-1914) was designed to provide a seamless coexistence between nature and structure. The unfinished Temple of Expiation of the Sagrada Family (1882-present) near the Barcelonian waterfront is a visually intoxicating monumental work with its intricate religious sculptures, soaring arches, disorienting spiral staircase, and patterned mosaic work. The project, abandoned during Antonio Gaudi's untimely death and the Spanish Civil War, has recently been restarted as a testament to the legacy of this architectural visionary. Sadly, reluctantly, the film concludes with a shot of the ongoing construction work as Gaudi's profoundly simple philosophical statement appears on the screen: "Everything comes out of the Great Book of Nature. Anything created by human beings is already in there."

Acquarello

Theatrical Release: September 7th, 1985 - Toronto Film Festival

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DVD Review: image Entertainment (Milestone Collection) - Region 0 - NTSC

DVD Box Cover		CLICK to order from:
Distribution	Image Entertainment - Region 0 - NTSC
Runtime	1:11:54
Video	1.33:1 Original Aspect Ratio Average Bitrate: 7.32 mb/s NTSC 720x480 29.97 f/s
	NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.
Bitrate:
Audio	Japanese (Dolby Digital 2.0 Dolby)
Subtitles	English (burned - in)
Features	Release Information: Studio: Image Entertainment Aspect Ratio: Original aspect Ratio 1.33:1 Edition Details: • none DVD Release Date: December 28th, 1999 Snapper Case Chapters: 20

Comments:

Well, as you can see there are lots of things wrong with this DVD image. Hazy, burned-in subtitles, chroma... but although I am disappointed, I'm so glad I have this DVD in my collection. I don't know of another DVD of this film out by anyone. Hopefully someone will tell me. I can hope for a far superior DVD one day, but there is no indication that it is coming soon. I revisited this in preparing fro the upcoming Eureka Teshigahara films on DVD - The Face of Another + Pitfall. I have been told they will be spectacular. For this Image Entertainment disc I give out of .