John Adams: Doctor Atomic
by Peter Sellars
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DVD details
Actor: Eric Owens, Gerald Finley, Jay Hunter Morris, Jessica Rivera, Lawrence RenesDirector: Peter Sellars
Brand: Naxos OF America INC
Orchestra: Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra
Performer: Chorus of Netherlands Opera
DVD: Region Code 0
Audio: English (Unknown); German (Unknown); French (Unknown); Dutch (Subtitled); English (Subtitled); French (Subtitled); Italian (Subtitled); Spanish (Subtitled); English (Original Language)
Format: Classical, Color, DTS Surround Sound, DVD, NTSC, Subtitled, Surround Sound, Widescreen
Picture Format: 1.78:1
Running Time: 288 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2008-09-30
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Opus Arte
DVD Reviews of John Adams: Doctor Atomic
DVD Review: Some very effective dramatic effects- some confusion.
Summary: 3 Stars
An artistic work like Dr. Atomic is bound to stir up controversy. One of the foremost questions is whether the authors of this opera are intending to influence the public toward a specific opinion about nuclear weapons, or whether it should be regarded solely as a work of art depicting the psychological states of the participants in the first A-bomb test. If they are trying to shape opinion, then I think a valid question would be: Are the arguments presented objectively and contextually, or do they rely on the dramatic nuances of theatrical devices-facial expression, gesture, inflection of the voice? And, of course, the ultimate question regarding the opera, in itself, is whether or not it is successful as art. It seems to me that the question of artistic success might be related to the question of polemical intent. Personally, when I sense that I am being propagandized, it makes me wary of accepting the artistic devices which the artist is using to convey his message. While watching the DVD of the opera, I had the firm impression that this was a very nuanced performance which was intended to cast the motivations for the A-bomb test in a negative light. After watching the movie of the opera, I viewed the interviews with John Adams, who conceived it, and Peter Sellars, who wrote the libretto. Sellars clearly states the activist intention behind this work, as being an effort to make people rethink our policies on the development of nuclear weapons. This was actually a very interesting interview, which I enjoyed watching. He stated quite articulately the anti-war position against such weapons based on the idea that the United States has had an illusion of invulnerability through owning such weapons. This erroneous idea has led to bad policy decisions and ill-advised military intervention causing terrible civilian suffering. He traces these misfortunes back to the initial decision to go ahead with the A-bomb development. OK, but aren't we missing some pieces of the picture? It has been claimed that Japan was willing to fight to the last man, and that an invasion of the Japanese homeland would have potentially caused more loss of life than the A-bombs. Was that an invalid argument? Is it unlikely the Soviet Union would have pursued nuclear weapons even if we had ruled them out? Could it have been a simple matter of just saying NO! to nuclear weapons? I must admit that I don't know the answer, but I highly suspect that the political, strategic, and philosophical sides of this subject are so complex they can't be adequately covered in an entertainment medium - even in a 2 1/2 hour opera. Sellars and Adams must have thought so, too, because they chose to emphasize the human, emotional side of the subject. That is a very valid side, but I think that in introducing so many cultural elements into the presentation, they may have overloaded their presentation with subjectivity to the detriment of a clear, coherent message. The portrayals of Oppenheimer, Teller, and General Groves were interesting character studies, though I suspect the nuance given to Oppenheimer's personality may have been a little overdone toward the manic. However, to my mind, the roles of Kitty Oppenheimer and Pasqualita, the Native American maid, instead of reinforcing the idea of a common humanity, seemed to dilute and confuse the main thrust of the opera. For one thing, they were singing about things that I don't think most of us could comprehend on one hearing without further research. While the poetry quoted by Kitty may have been apropos, it was too image-laden for me to grasp as she sang it. This, along with the chants intoned by Pasqualita in her Earth-Mother persona, may have given a harmony to the tableau to minds greater than mine, but seemed chaotic to me. I certainly wouldn't say that the inputs of Kitty and Pasqualita were irrelevant, but my attention was scattered by trying to relate what they were saying to the the drama of the scientists. Some of the closeups of performers were much too close up, and various orifices and protuberances of their faces actually assumed an alien and distracting aspect. That is not a criticism of the opera as such, but it is quite visible on the DVD. There was an intensity to parts of the film that I found quite compelling, so it was by no means a dud. If you dislike opera to begin with, there's probably nothing about this one that will change your mind. Overall, I would have to say that I enjoyed it more than I disliked it, but found myself being reserved because of what I perceive to be its political agenda. I can't say that politically-inspired art is necessarily a bad thing, but if someone is trying to influence my vote primarily through an appeal to the emotional urgency of an issue, I begin to wonder if I'm getting a fair picture. I think art may sometimes be used as a Trojan Horse to bring ideas into the minds of patrons in a subtle way to undermine established opinion. Sometimes, this may turn out to be a good thing, but I think we need to be aware that we are being massaged. Although I enjoy classical music, I freely admit I'm not qualified to say much about the technical aspects of the production. I can only say that the singing, especially of Finley(Oppenheimer), Fink(Teller), and Rivera(Kitty) sounded amazingly strong, expressive and flawlessly delivered to me. I would have to think that Adams and Sellars would like to reach a larger audience than just opera savants. I am part of that larger, less-musically knowledgeable audience, and these are my impressions, which I don't claim to be representative of anyone else. I think I could have seen four or five stars worth of appreciation for this work if the various parts had been more cohesive, even with my reservations about its ideological intent.
Description of John Adams: Doctor Atomic
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