Heinz Emigholz Movies
Filmmaker Heinz Emigholz continues his "Architecture and Autobiography" series with this documentary presenting twenty-eight structures by Austrian architect Adolf Loos all explored in chronological order of construction. The author of the book Ornament and Crime, Loos made a name for himself with his innovative approach to designing interiors. In order to offer the viewer a better understanding of Loos' approach to architecture, Emigholz contrasts detailed cross sections of interiors designed by the architect against scenic shots of the same building's exteriors. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
Springing from the conviction that an artist's work will speak for itself, providing the deepest and most telling insights into the creator, Heinz Emigholz's documentary Schindler's Houses introduces audiences to Austrian-born architect Rudolf Schindler (1887-1953) with an onscreen panoply of the Los Angeles-area homes that he designed. Emigholz presents 40 of the structures, in their current surroundings, sans voice-over but with direct sound; the film begins with Schindler's own Kings' Road House in West Hollywood (built in 1922) and then moves forward in time through his creations of the 1950s. In many of the shots, Emigholz films the rooms at salient angles, thus subtly reframing Schindler's designs for audience dissection. He also touches on the questions of gradual dilapidation and the encroachment of nature, as those forces begin to reshape Schindler's buildings. Meanwhile, on a broader level, the documentarist uses the film to etch out an impression of not simply Schindler's work, but of domestic living environments in contemporary Los Angeles per se. ~ Nathan Southern, Rovi
Follow host Heinz Emigholz as he travels to the sprawling Villa Carganacco in Lombardy, Italy to explore fifteen remarkable rooms designed by architectural innovator Gabriele D'Annunzio. Located on Lake Garda, the Villa Carganacco is a single part of a grand complex that also includes the Vittoraile, a state museum which the controversial D'Annunzio spent seventeen years designing. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- 2001
Architecture enthusiasts are invited to walk through eight structures that stand as physical symbols of a culture's true psychological state in this documentary examining the last buildings designed and constructed by architect Louis H. Sullivan. Sullivan was known for exercising his sense of free expression by designing buildings featuring extravagant facades with no load-bearing function. He worked with a wide variety of building components, and in this film viewers are invited to explore his vast creativity by examining the fruits of his labor firsthand. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
This feature-length experimental documentary from avant-garde director Heinz Emigholz provides a free-form visual meditation on the subject of reinforced concrete, as implemented in various bridges designed and built by Swiss-born civil engineer and artisan Robert Maillart. In so doing, the film provides a broader meditation on one architect's ability to spin life and human expression from a seemingly dull and unremarkable, manufactured substance. ~ Nathan Southern, Rovi
- 1995
- R
In this frankly bizarre fantasy story based on a novel by Austrian writer Robert Schneider, Elias Johannes Alder (Andre Eisermann) is born into a filthy, poverty-stricken village in the alps; his mother doesn't much care for him, and he later discovers he's the bastard son of the town's clergyman. As his mother is giving birth to his sister Elsbeth, Elias has an epiphany that causes his hearing to become unusually keen and his eyes to change color. He suddenly develops a tremendous talent for music, quickly mastering the church organ and performing and writing music with remarkable skill and passion. Once Elsbeth grows to maturity, Elias becomes obsessed with his sister and longs to be her lover; however, she breaks his heart by instead marrying Peter (Ben Becker), an old friend who is deeply moved by Elias' music. Driven to despair, Elias decides to commit suicide, but in a truly novel manner -- by giving up sleep. Director Joseph Vilsmaier also served as cinematographer; Schneider wrote the screenplay from his own novel. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Joseph Vilsmaier, André Eisermann, (more)
This German battlefield drama, released on the occasion of the fiftieth anniversary of the climactic 1943 defeat of the Nazi forces at Stalingrad in Russia, does not paint a pretty picture either of war itself or of the Germans fighting in that war. Out of hundreds of thousands of previously victorious German soldiers who took part in this most crucial battle of WWII, a mere six thousand ruined men survived. Today, the word "Stalingrad" is used by Germans to signify any particularly ruinous reversal or defeat. In the story, the lives of several German soldiers are followed as they are transformed from arrogant and victorious killers into demoralized cowards who will do anything at all in order to survive, usually without success. Due to a political climate of resurgent sympathy for the fascists at the time this film was made, is was particularly important to the filmmakers to show the soldiers as lacking any shred of military dignity or real courage. Thus, though this big budget, well-made film did well in Germany, its lack of any truly sympathetic characters made it less popular elsewhere. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi
- Starring:
- Dominique Horwitz, Thomas Kretschmann, (more)
- 1991
In life, Roy was a book editor. In death, he is a muse to his friends, who have gathered to peruse the myriad notebooks he left behind, filled with thoughts, recollections of events in his daily life, and imaginary situations. Each friend is in some way connected to the publishing business. One of the friends, Carl, is a writer: one of the characters he made up has come to life and is duplicating the thoughts of others in a disturbing way. Reviewers found the situations (and endless talk) in this experimental-style film uninteresting and derivative. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi
- Starring:
- Eckhard Rhode, Wolfgang Muller, (more)
- 1984
Sheila McLaughlin produced, directed, wrote and starred in this low-budget but heartfelt filmed biography of the tragic stage and screen actress Frances Farmer. Always a maverick, Farmer could never fit in with the Hollywood public-relations mill, nor was she totally at ease with the posing intellectuals of the Group Theatre. Bombarded by unfair pressure from all sides, Farmer eventually loses control over herself and has to be committed to an institution--and then suffers a far worse fate when she is put in the protective custody of her embittered mother. This story was related on a more elaborate scale in the American TV movie Will There Ever Be a Morning? (with Susan Blakely) and the theatrical film Frances (with Jessica Lange). McLaughlin's ambitious version was originally produced for British television. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Sheila McLaughlin, Victoria Boothby, (more)
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