National Gallery: A Film by Frederick Wiseman

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

At last - a documentary that doesn't treat its audience as though they are a bunch of simpletons. No background music; no jabbering twit telling us what we can already see; no incompetent camera operator who hasn't learnt to keep his machine still and keeps his/her itchy finger off the zoom lever.

Well done, BBC4.

[Serial_Apologist]

At last - a documentary that doesn't treat its audience as though they are a bunch of simpletons. No background music; no jabbering twit telling us what we can already see; no incompetent camera operator who hasn't learnt to keep his machine still and keeps his/her itchy finger off the zoom lever.

Well done, BBC4.

Yes indeed: hats off to them.

The first thought that came to my mind was how well versed the guides at the National are at putting their knowledge across; my second, could we please have them presenting arts programmes on TV? and my third, why can't we have radio programmes on music presented at this depth of sophistication and lack of pretentiousness?

[Anna]

Yes to everything said above. Fascinating, informative, engrossing - I could watch any number of these sort of programmes anytime. Slow telly doesn't mean boring!

[MrGongGong]

The bits I saw seemed to be film of a film crew filming folks talking (probably very interestingly) about the paintings.... quite entertaining if you are a microphone geek and want to watch someone waving a "dead cat" (why were they using a Rycote windshield indoors?) in front of a man in a suit.

I might try and watch it all if I have time though

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

You can always pick holes in programmes if you want to, but this was so much better than having to endure a voice-over from some nincompoop who might just as well be selling Pedigree Chum.

[Pianorak]

At last - a documentary that doesn't treat its audience as though they are a bunch of simpletons. No background music; no jabbering twit telling us what we can already see; no incompetent camera operator who hasn't learnt to keep his machine still and keeps his/her itchy finger off the zoom lever.

Well done, BBC4.

Well done indeed! People have been complaining for years about intrusive and overpowering background music and the rest. Fingers crossed that the penny has finally dropped.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Well done indeed! People have been complaining for years about intrusive and overpowering background music and the rest. Fingers crossed that the penny has finally dropped.

[Pianorak]

I'll probably miss all those noisy nature and football programmes as I have been watching them for years now with the sound turned off and listened either to R3 or my own CDs. I know it's a bit of a compromise as I don't really like "background" music of any kind. Still, life is a compromise.

[MrGongGong]

You can always pick holes in programmes if you want to, but this was so much better than having to endure a voice-over from some nincompoop who might just as well be selling Pedigree Chum.

I wasn't "picking a hole" at all
I'm sure it's a great film

I don't really like "background" music of any kind.

Music in documentaries isn't necessarily "background music"

I miss Edward Williams

[clive heath]

On the subject of the National Gallery, locals have just this Friday and Saturday to try to get to see "Inventing Impressionism" before it closes. A room of Manets, a room of Monets, plenty of Renoir, some Degas, Morisot, Sisley, Pisarro and one of the most stunning Rousseaus I've ever seen " A Distant View of Mont Blanc" alone worth the price of entry.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

On the subject of the National Gallery, locals have just this Friday and Saturday to try to get to see "Inventing Impressionism" before it closes. A room of Manets, a room of Monets, plenty of Renoir, some Degas, Morisot, Sisley, Pisarro and one of the most stunning Rousseaus I've ever seen " A Distant View of Mont Blanc" alone worth the price of entry.

I couldn't get to this exhibition but a friend spent a day at it and was most enthusiastic. She tells me that a documentary of the exhibition has been made and is due for release in cinemas (if I've understood her correctly) later in the year.

[jean]

...a documentary of the exhibition has been made and is due for release in cinemas (if I've understood her correctly) later in the year.

Not so much a documentary, more a tour of the exhibition for cinema screening:

http://www.exhibitiononscreen.com/the-impressionists

I haven't seen any of these, but friends were very impressed by the Matisse one:

http://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/film/cinema-event-matisse-tate-modern-and-moma

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Not so much a documentary, more a tour of the exhibition for cinema screening:

http://www.exhibitiononscreen.com/the-impressionists

Even better!

[Flosshilde]

On the subject of the National Gallery, locals have just this Friday and Saturday to try to get to see "Inventing Impressionism" before it closes. A room of Manets, a room of Monets, plenty of Renoir, some Degas, Morisot, Sisley, Pisarro and one of the most stunning Rousseaus I've ever seen " A Distant View of Mont Blanc" alone worth the price of entry.

I saw this exhibition & while the pictures were good I thought the more interesting thing was the insight it gave into (& the questions it raised about) the development of the modern art market by focussing on the activities of a single dealer who was probably the principal supporter of the Impressionists - the development of the block-buster exhibition, the creation of an international market, the 'creation' of an artist's reputation by mass buying of the contents of his studio, supporting an artist by 'adopting' them.