Some films are so good that they remind us of cinema’s capabilities, by, in a sense, reinventing the medium’s shape and form. This is one of those films. Granted, Gould makes an extraordinary subject. But the masterstroke here is to a cue from Gould’s most famous piece, his interpretation(s) of Bach’s Goldberg Variations, and to structure the film as 32 fragments, each revealing a different perspective.
This approach pays off handsomely. We see Gould at various junctures, but while they’re loosely in chronological order, these sequences are not really biographical, but tasters of a strangely distant, always compelling personality. Beyond this, Girard gives us interviews with those who knew Gould, excerpts from radio broadcasts, brief excursions into abstraction, even a segment of Norman McLaren’s animation Spheres. Despite such formal dexterity, however, what’s most impressive is the simplicity and clarity of the enterprise. This absolutely deserves its reputation as one of the greatest accomplishments in Canadian cinema, from the 90s or any other decade.
Girard’s film teems with distinctive ways to evoke Gould’s remarkably creative re-creative genius.
Richard Brody, The New Yorker
Media Partner
François Girard
Colm Feore, Derek Keurvorst, Katya Ladan, Devon Anderson
Canada
1993
English
4 Genie Awards, including Best Film, Best Director
Book Tickets
Indigenous & Community Access
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Credits
Producer
Niv Fichman
Screenwriter
François Girard, Don McKellar
Cinematography
Alain Dostie
Editor
Gaétan Huot
Original Music
Glenn Gould
90s, Baby!
Ten years. 11 weeks. 90 films from the 1990s. This summer, 90’s Baby! takes a deep dive into a defining decade of cinema.
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Rushmore
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Saving Private Ryan
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The Thin Red Line
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The Matrix
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Office Space
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The Sixth Sense
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Beau Travail
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Magnolia
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