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Glass Works
Glass: A Portrait of Philip in Twelve Parts, references one of Philip Glass' major compositions from the 1970s, Music in Twelve Parts. That enormous work (recorded, it fills three compact discs) features Glass' signature arpeggiated melodies and subtly shifting harmonic structures. The documentary is itself divided into twelve parts, roughly breaking up into snapshots of the composer's family life, collaborations with filmmakers, major works (such as the breakthrough opera Einstein on the Beach), work ethic, and one section early on that might be subtitled Philip Glass Makes Pizza. If you're reading this review, it's likely that you're already a fan of Philip Glass' music. Since the beginning of his professional career in the late 1960s, audiences and critics have tended to have a "love it" or "hate it" reaction to his work. For some, Glass' music is hypnotic, beautiful, and highly emotional. It's perfect at evoking moods – documentary filmmaker Erroll Morris adds in the movie that "no one does existential dread" better than Philip Glass. But others find the repeated figures common to Glass' compositions to be monotonous and boring. Scott Hicks is no stranger to classical music, having directed the Academy Award-winning Shine a little over a decade ago. And anyone that would want to follow Philip Glass around for a year must be a fan of his music, but I can't seem to figure out if the movie is meant for Glass fans or a general audience. If you're looking for major insights into Glass' working methods or where he gets his ideas, you won't find them here. The closest Glass gets to revealing where his ideas come from is his description of music as a constantly flowing river that composers can dip into from time to time. That's a nice image, but for fans of the composer, we're left wanting more at the end of the film. Still, there are some good personal anecdotes that come out of Glass: A Portrait of Philip in Twelve Parts, including revealing interviews with the composer's sister, and a striking moment when Glass' wife, Holly, opens up about the couple's marital problems on camera. That's all the more shocking, since for the first 90 minutes of the movie, all we see are happy images of the family, and we hear about how "centered" Glass is, from his yoga teacher, his Buddhist advisor, his colleagues, etc. etc. But while Glass: A Portrait of Philip in Twelve Parts doesn't reveal much more about its subject than fans surely know already, the DVD set is worth examining for Glass fans. Disc Two of the set includes extended musical performances and rehearsals, including a solo performance by Glass of his Metamorphosis, and one of the "Knee Plays" from Einstein on the Beach. The DVD set also includes extended interview segments with Glass, his friends and family, which are worth watching. But until Glass updates his own fascinating book, Music By Philip Glass (first published in 1987, slightly updated in 1995), fans will be left feeling there is still more to be told about this important American composer's life and work. 5/29/09 Back to the main Cinema Tuesdays Reviews page More about the Cinema Tuesdays series  |
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