Genius Within: The Inner Life of Glenn Gould (2009) User Reviews

Lets Get Glenn

[ptb-8 · 8/10 · 10 February 2010]

This new Canadian production about the life and music of concert pianist Glenn Gould is quite simply a stunning and fascinating cinematic portrait of a music genius. For the uninitiated, Glenn Gould's birth in 1932 to parents already in their 40s meant their focus love and education input resulted in a fantastic and handsome child/teen piano concert prodigy who became an icon of performance before the age of 20. This film is as striking and compelling as the Chet Baker documentary LETS GET LOST and easily is the piano equivalent of that definitive jazz trumpet film. The footage drawn from home movies, newsreels, TV appearances and scrapbooks especially of the period of the late 40s - 60s catapults the viewer into those iconic black and white images of James Dean in NY and the fantastic world as seen in photos and stories depicting the Actors Studio days of Brando/Clift/Wagner/Perkins that the public find absolutely fascinating. Indeed, Gould's existence and the imagery and footage shown here is the classic piano version in a parallel universe to those. At 109 minutes it certainly leisurely examines and interviews those closest to him who have outlived his short 50 years (he died in 1982) and the emotional denouement in this chronological edit is strong. I really knew nothing about Glenn Gould and now I feel as though I have been privy to a stunning talent and a concert pianist of astonishing good looks and intense private moods. He certainly was the James Dean of the North American piano concert scene. The trips to Moscow in the 50s, the surprising detour into the music of Petulia Clark, Leonard Bernstein and his Opera contacts all make for riveting viewing. It is the avalanche of sensational footage and the emotionally connective interviews that make this film an absolute must for students of cinema humanities and music alike. His death at age 50 and the extent that he looked far older show how full his life was; I did note that he died not long after his aged parents, him being their only child. This is a great, truly rewarding epic documentary and it is fascinating viewing for 50 different reasons. A 2006 Swiss film called VITUS reminds me of a fictional version of his childhood and is a good chaser.

Title Aside, a Fascinating Movie

[clg238 · 8/10 · 18 October 2010]

This movie is a pleasure to watch and hear: grainy images from the 1950s, intelligent commentary from those who knew and loved Glenn Gould; clips from a number of interviews with Gould over the years, and best of all Gould's phenomenal music, clear and penetrating. From two women who loved him, we learn a little bit about him. My quarrel is with the title, with the words "within" and "inner life." The title raises expectations of our getting to know what makes Gould tick; I, for one, having seen and very much liked the movie, learned very little about his inner self. However, this is a very worthwhile movie for people who are generally interested in artists and/or those who love classical music (even when it contains a novel interpretation). I think the makers of this video did an excellent job—I'm assuming they didn't have a whole lot from the archives to work with. It's relentlessly interesting. Gould is not only an extreme pleasure to hear but also to watch.

Philosophically and emotively engaging

[trevorwowk · 9/10 · 10 September 2017]

Attended this movie as part of the Honens Day at Studio Bell in Calgary. I did not know Glenn Gould and his part in music history prior to this. I was riveted from the brilliant imagery that started the setting to the final credits. This is easily the most engaging life documentary I have ever had the privilege to view. Well produced and wonderfully presented. I cried, I laughed, and I groaned.

Left the theatre room feeling I had missed an amazing chapter of history that I should have been aware of.

Wondrous Strange

[MikeyB1793 · 9/10 · 4 December 2012]

This is an intelligent and interesting look at the life of Glenn Gould. It features a lot of film footage of him along with comments by friends. There are several excerpts of Gould at the piano and we can feel the intensity of the performance. Gould definitely imparts himself onto the music. His life was certainly not that of the "standard" classical pianist and it certainly justifies the title of a biography of him called "Wondrous Strange". Some of this eclecticism comes out during the documentary or you can listen to his recordings and hear him humming in the background. Another feature that this film depicts is Gould's humorous and vividly photogenic personality.

This documentary follows his early and sensational career to the end when he died prematurely at the age of fifty. Glenn Gould is definitely a unique fixture in Canadian history and this film does a wonderful job illustrating that.