Florence, Italy: Old Bridges, New Friends

Although hailed on the video slipcover as a "never to be forgotten video masterpiece," this documentary about a group of Canadian architecture students who have come to Florence to study the grand and ornate structures of the Renaissance, falls a bit short of classic status. Stand-out cinematography which captures the flavorful mix of Gothic, Renaissance, and contemporary styles that butt up against one another, is somewhat undercut by the voice-over narration of the students. Too often these solemn intonations of awe sound very much like the forced writing of a Comp 101 student who is bucking for an "A." And occasionally the remarks are simply absurd ("the history and culture of this area dates back centuries" earns kudos as one of the most inane statements I've heard on a video). On those rare occasions when the program deigns to dismount from its high horse and talk to real Italians the video comes alive. In addition to the montage segments shot throughout the city, the cameras visit the Piazza Santissima Annunziata, the cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, the church of Santa Maria Novella, Sata Croce, and the Ufizzi gallery, among other locations. Architecture students planning to make their own pilgrimage to Florence might enjoy this, but general audiences would hardly want to labor through this academic exercise in tourism. While the imagery is beautiful, the stilted narration is both utterly humorless and often unnatural. Not a necessary purchase. (Available from: Chip Taylor Communications, 15 Spollett Dr., Derry, NH 03038; (800) 876-CHIP.)