My Architect....Seeking Truth Through the Gloaming
Written: Apr 08 '05 (Updated Nov 06 '05)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Thoughtful, even riveting at times, may force a grudging appreciation for Kahn's works
Cons: This may not appeal to everyone--it's a documentary, so don't expect action...
The Bottom Line: Even if you loathe Louis Kahn and his buildings, respect is due. A compelling, even haunting look at a man and his times.
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| tombarnes's Full Review: My Architect |
They found Louis Kahn in the men's room at Penn Station in New York. That a great architect should die alone in a brutal place is sad enough, but the truth of his many lives is even more brutal. Kahn, arguably one of the masters of the the modern movement, created monumental buildings which demand attention from the beholder.
Attention and affection were not often bestowed upon Kahn's three families. That's right, three families. This documentary is the quest of Nathaniel, one of his (self-described) bastard children, to reclaim his father, even after death. The reclamation entails visits to many of Kahn's landmarks as well as interviews with architects, co-workers, and family members of all stripes.
Kahn's buildings themselves play an important role in the movie. Whether Nathaniel is rollerblading around the grounds of the Salk Institute in La Jolla or dutifully trooping up the steps of the forbidding Richards Medical Research Building at the University of Pennsylvania, it's easier to understand how Nathaniel must have felt when trying to come to terms with a father who knew him only in the most distant possible way.
The cinematography is excellent. It's rich and almost exuberant. Using Beethoven as a soundtrack for the bleak forms of the Kimbell Art Museum in Fort Worth may be a bit of a stretch, but you don't have to love Kahn's buildings, nor respect his deplorable personal failings, to like this movie. Like his buildings, the movie commands your attention. even if you don't admire what's happening. There are a few comic moments as well. Philadelphia architect Edmund Bacon's acerbic comments alone are worth renting the movie. As it gnaws its way through tortured relationships, the movie can be a bit difficult to follow in places. Do as Kahn himself did and compartmentalize them to keep things straight. There were a few moments I thought had been obviously staged for the camera, but these can be overlooked for the greater good of the whole. Adulation is held in check by moments of near shock as the viewer begins to untangle the web of deceit Kahn crafted to keep his families and affairs separate.
I'd recommend this one even for those who haven't got the slightest idea who Louis Kahn was, or an inkling of what his buildings were about. The story alone is compelling.
My Architect
Nathaniel Kahn, 2003
Thanks to Sue, for challenging me to write a movie review or three. This is #2...More to come...
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
tombarnes
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 - Top 200 |
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Member: Thomas Barnes
Location: Fort Lauderdale & Washington, DC
Reviews written: 688
Trusted by: 444 members
About Me:
With Barbara in Miami, 2004
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