Sir John Soane: An English Architect, An American Legacy

Murray Grigor's fine documentary combines a study of the life and work of the idiosyncratic but brilliant British architect John Soane (1753-1837) with an appreciation of his influence on the generation of American architects who, in the second half of the 20th century, rebelled against the modernist school represented by Walter Gropius and found inspiration in Soane's strange but wonderfully imaginative adaptations of classical forms. The film offers many magnificently photographed examples of Soane's peculiar genius—from the rooms in his own home to museums he designed, as well as models and drawings of his magnum opus, the now-destroyed Bank of England building—and provides an excellent account of his work as a teacher and collector of antiquities. In addition, the program examines Soane's legacy, surveying important American postmodern architects, who testify to the influence of Soane's ideas on their work. Unfortunately, while the 16x9 anamorphic widescreen aspect ratio looks perfectly fine on widescreen TVs, on standard TVs the images appear horizontally compressed (or, if you prefer, vertically stretched) to fill the screen, leading to some distortion. A beautifully crafted film about a remarkable man, this is recommended, with the above reservation. Aud: C, P. (F. Swietek)