Regular or Super: Views on Mies van der Rohe 2004
Distributed by First Run/Icarus Films, 32 Court St., 21st Floor, Brooklyn, NY 11201; 800-876-1710
Produced by Joseph Hillel and Qu4tre par Quatre Films
Directed by Joseph Hillel and Patrick Demers
VHS, color, 57 min.
Sr. High - Adult
Architecture, Art, Biography, Film Studies, Urban Studies
Date Entered: 12/28/2005
Reviewed by Christopher Dunham, Fairfield University, Fairfield, CTHillel and Demers have created a stylish documentary profiling a selection of buildings representing Mies van der Rohe's considerable body of work (more than 70 buildings in a career of over 60 years).
Finely crafted, the directors use camera angles, time, and motion, combined with an original jazz score, to convey the feeling of "less is more," the adage that exemplifies Van der Rohe's signature minimalist style. Included throughout are short interview clips from scholars, colleagues, and Van der Rohe's grandson as well as comments from the gas station's customers and neighbors. The sound and picture qualities are excellent, with cinematography reminiscent of Ken Burns' documentaries. Graphics are limited to English subtitles where necessary and labels identifying buildings and interviewees.
Bookended with scenes featuring a gas station (1967) on Nuns' Island near Montreal, the film takes the viewer on a tour of ten other Van der Rohe buildings: 860-880 Lake Shore Drive Apartment Buildings (Chicago, 1951); Seagram Building (New York, 1958); Federal Center (Chicago, 1970); Farnsworth House (Plano, Illinois, 1951); Barcelona Pavillion (Barcelona, 1929); Westmount Square (Montreal, 1968); Toronto Dominion Center (Toronto, 1969); Crown Hall Building, Illinois Institute of Technology (Chicago, 1956); Neue Nationalgalerie (Berlin, 1968); and his first independent work, Riehl House (Potsdam, 1907). While some of the buildings have only a few moments on-screen, more than half merit extensive screen time accompanied by music and/or the comments of the interviewees.
With 45 of Van der Rohe's buildings in Chicago, libraries there would be remiss in overlooking this. In addition, any library with an architecture collection should purchase it, along with those supporting film or video production programs for students to take advantage of studying the style and techniques used.
Awards
- Best Photography, 2005 Rome Documentary Festival
- Best Canadian Film, 2004 International Festival of Films on Art (Montreal)
- Best Urban Documentary, 2004 Barcelona DocFest