Glass: A Portrait of Philip in 12 Parts

Director: Scott Hicks

Review By Max Burke

A filmmaker making a film about a composer who makes music for films, such is the concept behind Scott Hicks’ (Shine, Snow Falling on Cedars) latest film and first foray into documentary filmmaking, Glass: A Portrait of Philip in 12 Parts, whose subject is the renowned and somewhat controversial “minimalist” composer Philip Glass. Hicks foregoes a straightforward narrative approach to documenting Glass’ career, and instead opts for a low-key, partial cinema vérité approach of simply following Glass around and interviewing some of his close friends, family members, and artistic collaborators.

The result is that Glass achieves, in a few key scenes, the excruciating intimacy that so many documentaries strive for but few accomplish. Some of the film is a traditional documentary, and Glass’ background, early musical career and triumphs, and turbulent family life are well-served through old photographs, interviews with friends, and archival footage. However, Glass really shines in quieter moments, such as when Hicks records the entire process of Glass baking pizza for his family and friends at his home in Nova Scotia, or when an intimate interview with Glass’s current wife, Holly, is interrupted by Glass asking for her computer password. These scenes get close enough to the film’s subject to create a sometimes excruciating intimacy.

Glass is also the kind of film that works so well as pure documentary that familiarity with Philip Glass is secondary to enjoyment of the film. This is possible because one does not even need to like Glass, the man or his music, to enjoy the documentary. Glass is clearly an extremely hard-working and gifted composer, but this reviewer came away from the film feeling that his personal life and all-embracing pan-theist spiritual outlook are fairly empty. That the film allows a multitude of interpretations – it is not hard to imagine someone walking away from the movie enthralled with Glass’s personality but dubious about his musical accomplishments – is its greatest strength. Obviously, Glass’s passion for music is the number one driving factor in his life, and everything else – family and close friends included – come second. Hicks has succeeded in capturing a small part of the magic of the creative process in Glass and his occasionally transfixing documentary has a strong appeal to fans of documentary, modern composition, and film music.