Magnificent Obsession: Frank Lloyd Wright's Buildings and Legacy in Japan
by Karen Severns/Koichi Mori
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DVD details
Director: Karen Severns/Koichi MoriBrand: FACETS VIDEO
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Original Language)
Format: Color, DVD, Full Screen, NTSC
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 126 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2007-09-25
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Facets
Product features:
- Douglas Sirk's elegant transposition of Lloyd Douglas' best seller stars Rock Hudson as an irresponsible playboy who causes the widowhood and blindness of a beautiful woman (Jane Wyman). Lavish color photography and Sirk's brilliant mise-en-scene. Format: DVD MOVIE Genre:?DOCUMENTARIES Rating:?NR Age:?736899110123 UPC:?736899110123 Manufacturer No:?
DVD Reviews of Magnificent Obsession: Frank Lloyd Wright's Buildings and Legacy in Japan
DVD Review: Great Disappointment
Summary: 2 Stars
I'm sure I'm as much of a Wright aficianado as anyone else here else we wouldn't have purchased this DVD. Therefore I can *not* understand all of these 4 & 5 star ratings. Yes the in-depth stories were interesting enough , but the material gathered would've been far more appropriate for a paperback book with photos and *not* a full blown DVD at $26. This production apes the Ken Burns style of hostoric storytelling without the quality in writing or casting of voiceover and the production looks little more than a college-level video term paper at best. ( I mistakenly gave it 2 stars and when I tried to correct my rating to 1 star Amazon's Edit page didn;t offer that option )
My main point should be *obvious*. One of the core value-added feature of *any* DVD on archiotecture is full use of the *visual* medium itself and there is *nothing* in the way of *digital video* shot of the actual remaining structure of this most beautiful work of architecture , as it stands totally accessible *today*, which was mercifully saved from the deconstruction in 1968 and lovingly reassembled in a park in Nagoya, Japan.
Any authoritative production short of delivering a living walk-through tour hardly deserves production on aDVD and certainly *not* at the cost of $26. So , by all means, save your money and walk away from this piece of sub-standard production. Whom among any group of FLlWright lovers would argue that what made Ken Burns' *Frank Lloyd Wright* DVD such aquality DVD to own was in no small part due to the sumptuous video shoots actually *experiencing* the Wright structures themselves. Obviously there wasn't enouhg money in Ken Burns' budget covering *all* of Wright's work & life to send a crew to Nagoya , Japan. However you'd think a DVD devoted *exclusively* to the Imperial Hotel would've addresseded this gap or what's the point of a DVD.
Bottomline: Short of that *no* DVD on this subject is worth a damn *without* such a living tour using the medium to its fullest ( I guess that would mean HD on BlueRay at this late date) . I mean you can get a taste of this in the form of an amateur's video tour on YouTube for crying out loud.
So save your money for when someone actually does. Who among us Wright officianados wouldn't buy such a DVD even if it was a Japanese production *without subtitles* , but offered a translation as an accompanying booklet ( which the material of this DVD could serve as) . Knowing the reverence that Japanese culture has for living works of art right down to the subtlest detail *that* would be *the* loving view documentary that the Imperial Hotel deserves. Anything less is not worth preserving in the DVD medium. Case closed!
DVD Review: A New Dimension in the Story of Organic Architecture
Summary: 5 Stars
Frank Lloyd Wright's Imperial Hotel in Tokyo (completed 1923) is world famous, but few are aware of just how much time he spent in Japan, how pivotal that hotel was in his career (indeed his relationship with Japan), the other buildings he designed for Japan, or the lasting influence he had on the many Japanese architects who studied under him and worked with him.
Unlike bleak buildings of concrete slabs (modern Japanese public schools leap to mind) and the monolithic towers of cities today, Wright's organic designs emphasize the unity between man and nature. His buildings are scaled to be comfortable places for people and are built of local materials, looking as if they grew out of their surroundings.
But this documentary isn't just about buildings. It is about the people who became Wright's students, colleagues, and friends, who carried the concepts of organic architecture forward in Japan.
Arata Endo was one of the Japanese architects who studied Wright's philosophy. This helped him to build his ideal view of organic architecture: "to find a point where humans and architecture meet, to make architecture the art based on everyday lives, and not to classify architecture into practicality, science or art."
The works of Wright in Japan, and the relationships he developed are meticulously laid out in this film with photographs, film clips, and perhaps most importantly interviews with architects, historians and others who were part of this chapter in history. Though it is a very detailed documentary with much information to impart to the viewer, it is logically organized and the art and music used throughout the film make it a joy to watch.
Magnificent Obsession is an important film as it fleshes out a little covered, yet crucially important dimension to the story of his work. It is a must see for anyone wanting a full understanding of Frank Lloyd Wright, organic architecture, and the legacy he left on both sides of the Pacific Ocean.
DVD Review: Magnificent obsession: Frank Lloyd Wright's buildings in japan and legacy in Japan
Summary: 4 Stars
In past publications,Mr.Wright's experience in Japan has been difficult to track and has remained mostly mysterious. This cd remedies this. Thorough and well researched,it is an excellent addition to the collection of the serious Wright fan.
The footage and documentation about building the magnificent Imperial Hotel is extensive and it clearly shows how Wright set up his studio in Japan and who worked with him there. I was fascinated to find that many students and architects who assisted Mr.Wright during his time there were deeply affected by his design philosophy and have continued his explorations in their own work.I was also excited to hear about and see images of the numerous commissions he created while there of which I was not aware.
I would have liked to see more photos or film footage of Wright during his stay.Wright and Mamah Bortwick visited there and while this visit is mentioned there are no photos to support it.Considering the renewed academic interest in Mamah and her inspiration and support of Wright I would have hoped some new documentation could have been flushed out of Japans' Wright archives.
I learned a great deal and would definitely recommend this to individuals who wish to learn more about this excellent and endlessly fascinating architect.
DVD Review: FLW and Japan
Summary: 3 Stars
Spending time abroad offers an escape and changes people. Lorena Bobbitt considered returning South America after a famous maiming controversy. Some say Michael Jackson and Michael Richards are abroad after receiving bad press. Gary Glitter ran to Cuba after nefarious charges came against him. This documentary at first seems to dance around the subject, but then it straight-up says FLW's career had fallen in the US because of the news of his flagrant adultery and so he started doing work in Japan. This work is a two-way street: FLW influenced Japan and Japan influenced him.
Some FLW documentaries just focus on biographical facts and his designs. This work also spoke about the effort it took to get buildings erected. It spoke of a lack of materials in Japan and about corruption among real estate figures there. The work goes further by detailing that man FLW designs were never erected and some buildings that did go up were destroyed by fire or earthquakes, though they fare better than typical Japanese structures.
This documentary shows how Japonisme influenced not only Impressionist painters, but also architects. Though FLW said the art of Japan influenced him, rather than the architecture, still this call from the East is strong. If you love looking at woodblock prints, kimonos, and photos of Japan from the early 1900s, then you'll have a soft spot for this work.
The work has diverse interviewees: whites and Japanese, male and female, possibly some age diversity too. Because I associated Will Smith with films and David Stewart with the Eurythmics, it was easy for me to be surprised that others have these names, even though they are common English-language ones.
My problem with this documentary is that it is TOO LONG. They could have wrapped this up in 60 or 90 minutes; two hours was excessive. Perhaps though, this was made for FLW enthusiasts and Japanophiles who would want lengthy discussions on these topics.
DVD Review: Great Movie!
Summary: 5 Stars
I knew that Wright was influenced by Japanese art and architecture. I had no idea how much he had influenced them. A very nice movie.
Description of Magnificent Obsession: Frank Lloyd Wright's Buildings and Legacy in Japan
Frank Lloyd Wright, one of the greatest architects of the 20th century, was deeply indebted to Japan for its aesthetic inspiration. This is the story of how he repaid that debt. Wright sought refuge in Japan when he faced public condemnation at home. For six tumultuous years, he struggled to complete the enormous commission of the Hotel Imperial in Tokyo, which helped turn his career around. During the construction of the building, he forged several relationships with Japanese architects who went on to alter Japan's cityscapes and mentor a new generation of architects. Wright's obsession with Japan, and vice versa, vividly reminds us that the creative spirit knows no borders.Japan DVDs
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