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 Multimedia
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
DVD Reviews of Magnificent Obsession: Frank Lloyd Wright's Buildings and Legacy in Japan
DVD Review: Fantastic Architectural Documentary
Summary: 5 Stars
There's a lot to like about this movie, and not much to complain about. A quick pace, great images and a good cubic mile of stuff you didn't already know. I gained new perspective on Frank Lloyd Wright's work -- all of it, not just the buildings in Japan. And, an added bonus, you'll meet Arata Endo, possibly the most likable, engaging character you'll ever meet in a historical documentary.
Obviously, the whole point of Magnificent Obsession is the visuals. The movie delivers just what a Wright fan wants: lots of drawings, historic photos and architectural models. Though it doesn't lack for scene-setting cityscapes or photos of the main actors, architectural images occupy the majority of the screen time
This historical documentary puts architecture before biography. Details of Frank Lloyd Wright's life aren't ignored, but focus of the film is true to the subtitle: Frank Lloyd Wright's Buildings and Legacy in Japan -- the filmmakers aren't concerned with Wright's character flaws or scandals beyond how they affect his work and life in Japan (in fact, there's a story of a bit of surprising post-war generosity on Wright's part that contradicts the popular image of a spoiled spendthrift). There is no sugarcoating of Wright, but the film is focused on Wright and Japan.
The film doesn't end when Wright leaves Japan. He served as a mentor to a number of young Japanese architects, and their work reflected his influence, through, and after World War II. The film follows their work, and the fate of Wright's buildings through to the present day (be warned, the footage of wrecking balls taking down the Imperial Hotel is agonizing to watch -- there's no V-chip for architectural desecration).
What I like best about the film -- what makes it stand out as a valuable documentary -- is the context it wraps around Wright's work in Japan. We see Japan begin to emulate European styles (and we get a glimpse of just how grotesquely out of place they were); we see Wright arrive with new ideas, new techniques, and an enthusiasm that fires a generation of young architects; those same architects develop Wright's ideas and create their own remarkable buildings and, eventually, play a role in preserving Wright's own additions to Japan's built environment.
So, simply, the film is great; it's beautiful, polished and thrillingly educational. It isn't meant only for Wright groupies, architecture fanboys or building nerds; it's an actual, honest-to-goodness great documentary: quickly paced, lots of character and full of interesting sights and ideas. So even your non-fanatical housemate/spouse/copanion will enjoy it.
The webiste for the film has some great background information, a trailer and a guide to further reading (if you've already seen the movie, note that the website has information on the musicians who contributed)
The film has its own legacy -- The Wrightian Architectural Archives Japan, a non-profit dedicated to preserving Frank Lloyd Wright's buildings and legacy in Japan and a site worth exploring.
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