Genius Within: The Inner Life of Glenn Gould

Genius Within: The Inner Life of Glenn Gould film. Michèle Hozer and Peter Raymont direct this film depicting Glenn Gould's life. Released  2011, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: B+

This is the second HDVD documentary produced about the life and art of Glenn Gould. The other, Glenn Gould: Hereafter, has already been reviewed and recommended on this site. For the Glenn Gould aficionado, both titles are probably already must-owns. But for the less fanatical of us, the idea of purchasing two documentaries about the same subject might be overkill. On the surface the two titles are similar: both use extensive use of non-HD footage of interviews and performances from Gould, with new, HD material consisting of interviews and discussion. Due to the relatively limited amount of footage of Gould, there is quite a bit of overlap of historical footage. But the two films diverge with the scope and tone of the modern day material.

Hereafter is primarily concerned with the legacy of Gould and his still considerable influence (the interviews in that film are not with anyone who knew Gould personally, but rather with fans who fell in love with Gould's playing after his death). Genius Within takes a more direct approach. The interviews are all with friends, colleagues, or former lovers of Gould, who attempt to portray the kind of man Gould was. Where Hereafter is reverential to the utmost degree, Genius Within attempts to show Gould in a more neutral, well rounded light. We learn of a man with certain idiosyncrasies, aware of the power of his own fame, and with just as many flaws as the rest of us. While extremely gifted and talented, he was still human, with all the triumphs, joys, and regrets that come with living.

Genius Within also differs from Hereafter in how easily it explains why Glenn Gould became such a phenomenon. At this point I will have to confess to having little to no knowledge of Gould before watching both documentaries. Genius Within gave me a much clearer understanding of Gould's style of play and his unique way of rearranging the classic works to create something he could call his own.