Goya (2012)
BBC Documentary hosted by Robert Hughes
Director: Ian MacMillan
Studio: BBC/ArtHaus Musik 106 067 [7/31/12] [Distr. by Naxos]
Video: 4:3 color
Audio: English DD 2.0
Subtitles: German, English
All regions
Extras: 3 Arthaus trailers
Length: 75 min.
Rating: ****
Art critic Robert Hughes ties together this chronicle of the life and works of Francisco de Goya in the expected BBC/PBS style. The artist was very much ahead of his time and chronicled many aspects of life at the time. Working variously as a court painter, satirist, war reporter, and observer of the inner self, Goya was unafraid to deal with the dark areas such as war, illness, men’s cruelty, and the Inquisition.
Goya’s radical approach stands up well even today, though his war and “black” paintings have never been sold for nearly the value of his other work since people only want to have beautiful images hanging in their homes. With all the art being displayed, it’s unfortunate the production was not 16:9 aspect ratio. But in addition for some reason this DVD was “window-boxed,” with black borders all around it. I had to use a Zoom option on my display (which my previous display lacked) in order to fill the screen. No idea why some DVDs are programmed that way.
—John Sunier
Carter Burwell – Blood Simple: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack – Varèse Sarabande
This limited edition Record Store Day vinyl release transcends movie scores.
