Absolute Wilson (2006)

76% of critics liked it
(29 reviews)
70% of users liked it
(357 ratings)

Filmmaker Katharina Otto-Bernstein offers a detailed look into the world of avant-garde theater icon Robert Wilson, whose visionary works and collaborations with such varied artists as Philip Glass, Allen Ginsberg, and Tom Waits have established him as one of the world's most respected theater… More Filmmaker Katharina Otto-Bernstein offers a detailed look into the world of avant-garde theater icon Robert Wilson, whose visionary works and collaborations with such varied artists as Philip Glass, Allen Ginsberg, and Tom Waits have established him as one of the world's most respected theater artists. From his early childhood in Waco, TX, to his influential work with the Byrd Hoffman School of Byrds to his internationally acclaimed "Einstein on the Beach" collaboration with Glass, his ill-fated CIVIL WarS performance, and the Black Rider collaboration with Waits that would later vindicate the failure of CIVIL WarS, Otto-Bernstein takes a linear look at Wilson's life and career while also offering informative interviews with the artist's many collaborators and, of course, extensive conversations with the man himself. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 1 hr. 45 min.
Directed By: Katharina Otto, Arnold Aronson
Written By: Katharina Otto
Genres: Musical & Performing Arts, Documentary

In Theaters: Oct 27, 2006 Limited
On DVD: Nov 13, 2007
Studio: New Yorker Films

Critic Reviews

Peter Marks, Washington Post
Does a good basic job of recapitulating the highs and lows of a career filled with restless energy and an outsize drive to achieve.
Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle
As a piece of entertainment, there's no getting around the fact that the film rises or falls on the degree to which the clips from Wilson's productions grab the viewer's attention and the ideas they embody arrest the mind.
Carina Chocano, Los Angeles Times
Impressive as is Wilson's output and oeuvre, it's the fully-engaged, aesthetically driven life that fascinates. And Otto-Bernstein's movie is a portrait of an artist at his most essential, in every sense.
Jonathan Rosenbaum, Chicago Reader
Katharina Otto-Bernstein's documentary provides an excellent introduction to the singular vision of avant-garde stage director Robert Wilson.
Louise Kennedy, Boston Globe
Absolute Wilson may not be original, but Wilson absolutely is.
Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune
While the testimonials from friends and colleagues are predictable, the subject himself opens up to the camera in strikingly revelatory fashion.
Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
A good introduction to those unfamiliar with the artist, while it should also be pleasing to his fans.
Michael McDonagh, culturevulture.net
Yet Otto-Bernstein's clips, though well-chosen, never convey what seeing Wilson live is like...Her book is much more stimulating.
David Noh, Film Journal International
One comes away from this documentary fully satisfied and yet wanting even more, a testament to the skill of the filmmakers and the utter fascination of their subject.
Misha Berson, Seattle Times
It's difficult for the uninitiated to glean from this film a real sense of Wilson's oeuvre, or its influence on the zeitgeist.
Bill White, Seattle Post-Intelligencer
Offer insights into the director's methods and motivations.
Harvey S. Karten, Compuserve
What's the point of knowing what there is to know about a fellow when we get only sound bites of what he has done with his enormous talent?
Gary Goldstein, Reel.com
A stirring portrait of a theatrical sensation, one that should motivate artists of all stripes to break away, follow their bliss, and, most importantly, never take no for an answer.
Rob Vaux, Flipside Movie Emporium
Though it doesn't make Wilson's art any less obtuse, it certainly helps us connect to the man who created it.
Steven Mikulan, L.A. Weekly
Wilson is the prime example of what happens when money is continually thrown at a voracious ego -- its creative universe keeps expanding until the money stops. One problem is that most of Wilson's works don't 'snapshot' very well as excerpts.
Andy Klein, Los Angeles CityBeat
... presents the general chronology of Wilson's life, which is certainly interesting ... but it's unclear whether the movie serves his work well...
Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com
Though more celebratory than truly critical, and dealing more with the artist than the private eperson, being the first docu of one of the century's most innovative creators has both historical and aesthetic merits.