Legendary documentary filmmaker Albert Maysles (Grey Gardens) has chronicled the creation of many massive, eye-catching works of public art erected by Christo and his partner Jeanne-Claude, including the Valley Curtain in Colorado's mountains, the Running Fence in northern California, the Surrounded Islands in Miami's Biscayne Bay, and the wrapping of the Pont Neuf in Paris (see review of 5 Films About Christo & Jeanne-Claude in VL-7/04). Maysles' The Gates follows the pair's most recent endeavor: the placement of over 7,500 gates of flowing orange-colored fabric along 23 miles of paths in New York's Central Park. The film begins with the artists' 25-year crusade to win official approval for the project, which was blocked by the city's bureaucracy until newly-elected Mayor Michael Bloomberg (a fan) gave the thumbs-up in 2003. The Gates captures the building and month-long installation of the exhibit (including some brusque comments from locals walking through the area), the triumphant opening in February 2005, and the ensuing two-week period during which members of the public were invited to enjoy the work. Many spectators offer up admiring comments as they stroll through Christo and Jeanne-Claude's creation, while the cameras capture oodles of attractive footage of the fabric billowing in the breeze, as well as especially lovely shots of the curtains seen against new-fallen snow. Although some critics dismiss the artists as charlatans, The Gates makes clear that a lot of folk found Christo and Jeanne-Claude's Central Park enterprise both beautiful and moving. Recommended. Aud: C, P. (F. Swietek)
The Gates
(2007) 98 min. DVD: $129: public libraries; $249: colleges & universities. Alive Mind. PPR. ISBN: 978-0-9820814-6-4. Volume 24, Issue 5
The Gates
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