Thirty-Two Short Films About Glenn Gould

Pros: Unique presentation of a life
Cons: None

In 1964, Glenn Gould gave his last concert performance without prior notice. He just stopped. Why? Because he wanted to focus on a new career of performing entirely for recordings. Live performances, in his view, took the emphasis off the music and...

Pros: Great Music; Great Performance from Colm Feore
Cons: May be confusing and frustrating if you don't know the subject

This film lives up to its title. It is made up of 32 short films (all by the same director), and they each explore some part of enigmatic Canadian pianist Glenn Gould. This isn't your typical biopic about a famous musician. Don't watch this film...

Pros: Artsy, Edgy: a biography with a twist
Cons: Misinterpret's Gould, not an objective representation

My opinion of Thirty Two Short Films About Glenn Gould comes with a bias of having revered Glenn Gould as the most phenomanal pianist/philosopher of the 20th century. I have since that time reformulated my opinion of Mr. Gould, and this movie only...

Pros: Great biopic
Cons: none

Did I have any idea who Glenn Gould was before I saw this film? No. Would I have probably have gone my whole life without knowing who G.G. was if I hadn't seen this film? Probably. And would I have been the worse off for it? Yes.

Why?...

Pros: the music! the episodic structure; excellent acting (when there is acting)
Cons: not a documentary (it's a biography); style is elliptical and may frustrate some viewers

32 Short Films About Glenn Gould (which takes its name from Bach's 32 Goldberg Variations, which Gould famously played) is a charming series of anecdotes about the reclusive Canadian pianist who retired at the peak of his fame.

The music is extraordinary. I had never heard of Glenn Gould when I first saw this film and went out and bought Gould playing the Goldberg variations. It quickly became my favorite CD, complete with Gould quietly muttering something as he plays.

Gould was a shy iconoclast, a drug addict, a perfectionist. The film has him speak to the camera, even interviewing himself. I can't help wishing there were a documentary--after all, Gould loved the recording studio and technology, preferring them ultimately to the uncertainty of live performances.

The Canadian and European settings are also enjoyable as backdrops to Gould's life.

Francois Girard's follow on film, The Red Violin, is also recommended for music lovers who can tolerate a bit of story.