Notes on Blindness (2016)
83%RT Audience Score: 69%
Awards & Nominations: 4 wins & 15 nominations total
Notes on Blindness is a film that takes a unique approach to the documentary form, exploring the experience of John Hull, an English writer and theologian who went blind in the 1980s. The filmmakers use a variety of techniques, including blurry scenery and surreal events, to create a visually rich and emotional experience. While some critics have found the film to be exhausting or gimmicky, others have praised its sensitivity and poetic tone. Ultimately, Notes on Blindness is a deeply human document that offers a poignant and thought-provoking reflection on disability and the human experience.
Notes on Blindness is a film that takes a unique approach to the documentary form, chronicling the experience of writer and theologian John Hull as he goes blind. While some critics found the film to be visually rich and emotionally powerful, others felt that the filmmakers relied too heavily on gimmicks and surreal imagery. Overall, the film is a poignant and thought-provoking exploration of disability, and a testament to the resilience of the human spirit. Plus, it’s a great excuse to wear sunglasses in the movie theater and pretend you’re blind like Daredevil.
Production Company(ies)
Diamond Docs A&E Indie Films, Passion Pictures,
Distributor
Bond/360
Release Type
Theatrical, Theatrical (Limited)
Filming Location(s)
MPAA / Certificate
Year of Release
2016
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby Atmos
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Aspect ratio:2.35 : 1
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Runtime:1h 30m
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Language(s):English
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Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Nov 16, 2016 Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 13, 2017
Genre(s)
Documentary
Keyword(s)
documentary, blindness, audio diary, human condition, uplifting, edifying, moving, Peter Middleton, James Spinney, Mike Brett, Steve Jamison, Jo-Jo Ellison, Alex Usborne, written by Peter Middleton, James Spinney, starring Marilyn Hull, John M Hull, Miranda Beinart-Smith, Eileen Davis, Tim Gebbels, Simone Kirby, Dolby Atmos, Bond/360, English (United Kingdom), Nov 16 2016 Limited, Apr 13 2017, 1h 30m, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Leah Pickett, Katie Walsh, John DeFore, Odie Henderson, Alan Scherstuhl, Stephen Holden, Vladan Petkovic, Steven Prokopy, Jeremy Polacek, Ellen Dwyer, Jordi Costa, MPAA rating, producer Mike Brett, Steve Jamison, Jo-Jo Ellison, Alex Usborne
Worldwide gross: $104,214
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $128,444
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,996
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 14,007
US/Canada gross: NA
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend:
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): NA
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): NA
Production budget ranking: NA
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
ROI to date (est.): NA
ROI ranking: NA
John M. Hull – Himself – Voice
Miranda Beinart-Smith – Imogen
Eileen Davis – Madge Hull
Tim Gebbels – Minister
Simone Kirby – Marilyn Hull
Director(s)
Peter Middleton, James Spinney
Writer(s)
Peter Middleton, James Spinney
Producer(s)
Mike Brett, Steve Jamison, Jo-Jo Ellison, Alex Usborne
Film Festivals
Sundance
Awards & Nominations
4 wins & 15 nominations total
Academy Awards
All Critics (40) | Top Critics (19) | Fresh (38) | Rotten (2)
English writer and theologian John Hull, who went blind in the early 1980s and kept an audio diary of his experience, is the subject of this thought-provoking film, which takes an unusual if not always successful approach to the documentary form.
January 5, 2017
Leah Pickett
Chicago Reader
TOP CRITIC
Achingly poignant and startlingly immediate
December 1, 2016
Katie Walsh
Los Angeles Times
TOP CRITIC
A deeply sensitive interpretation of the subject’s reflective testament on disability.
November 21, 2016
John DeFore
Hollywood Reporter
TOP CRITIC
Quite often, the filmmakers go for blurry scenery, surreal events and odd camera shots that feel more like gimmicks than an accurate representation of its subject’s affliction.
November 16, 2016 | Rating: 2.5/4
Odie Henderson
RogerEbert.com
TOP CRITIC
The filmmakers create art out of what too often is a documentary stopgap.
November 16, 2016
Alan Scherstuhl
Village Voice
TOP CRITIC
The tone of the narration is so wrenchingly honest that the film never lapses into self-pity or relies on mystical platitudes.
November 15, 2016
Stephen Holden
New York Times
TOP CRITIC
Immensely creative and poetic.
September 1, 2020
Vladan Petkovic
Cineuropa
The film is ambitious, carefully and skillfully crafted, and tirelessly constructed into a magnificent journey of the heart and mind.
April 30, 2020
Steven Prokopy
Third Coast Review
Adventurous and intimate and unworried by the wall dividing fiction and nonfiction, Peter Middleton’s and James Spinney’s debut, Notes on Blindness, is a wondrous film, a thing of magic and a deeply human document.
February 4, 2020
Jeremy Polacek
Hyperallergic
Visually rich and emotional it is impressive piece of film, but its sobriety and highly stylised nature means it can turn into an exhausting watch.
April 1, 2019 | Rating: 3/5
Ellen Dwyer
One Room With A View
It is not an odyssey about overcoming adversity, but rather the meticulous chronicle of the pulse that maintains an individual with the loss of his vision. [Full Review in Spanish]
March 18, 2019
Jordi Costa
El Pais (Spain)
A visual pleasure. [Full review in Spanish]
March 12, 2019 | Rating: 3.5/5
Janire Zurbano
Cinemanía (Spain)…
Plot
Notes on Blindness follows the journey of writer John Hull as he goes blind and begins to document his experience on audio cassette, resulting in a thought-provoking and poetic reflection on the human condition.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
The film features the real-life audio recordings of writer John Hull, who went blind in the early 1980s.
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