National Gallery (2014)
84%RT Audience Score: 71%
Awards & Nominations: 1 win & 9 nominations
Frederick Wiseman’s National Gallery is a stunning work that captures the essence of one of the world’s most prestigious art institutions. Wiseman’s fly-on-the-wall style is the perfect approach to cut through the surface of pretence that dominates any major institution’s vision of itself. The lack of a unifying theme may hold the documentary back from becoming truly excellent, but the film’s most fascinating moments pay tribute to the gallery’s technical prowess and craftsmanship. National Gallery is a snooty version of those BBC fly-on-the-wall series such as Airport, but it engages the mind and saturates the senses, making it less exhausting than a visit to the actual gallery. Wiseman’s simple Terence-like interest in what other human beings do and how they do it is more than enough to make this documentary a must-watch for art enthusiasts and documentary lovers alike.
National Gallery is like a fancy version of those reality TV shows where they follow people around and you get to see what they do all day. Except instead of following around some random person, you get to see what goes on behind the scenes at a major art institution. It’s pretty cool to see all the technical stuff that goes into preserving and displaying art, and it’s definitely less tiring than actually going to the gallery in person. Plus, you don’t have to worry about accidentally bumping into a priceless painting and getting kicked out.
Production Company(ies)
Universal Pictures, Wing Nut Films, Big Primate Pictures,
Distributor
NA
Release Type
Theatrical, Theatrical (Limited)
Filming Location(s)
National Gallery, Trafalgar Square, St James’s, London, England, UK
MPAA / Certificate
Not Rated
Year of Release
2014
-
Color:Color
-
Sound mix:Dolby
-
Aspect ratio:1.85 : 1
-
Runtime:NA
-
Language(s):English
-
Country of origin:United States
-
Release date:NA
Genre(s)
Documentary
Keyword(s)
documentary, National Gallery, Frederick Wiseman, Pierre-Olivier Bardet, Nicholas Penny, Larry Keith, Luke Syson, Dawson Carr, Ashok Roy, David Jaffe, education programs, scholars, scientists, curators, London, art, paintings, institutions, fly-on-the-wall, observational, technical prowess, craftsmanship, self-expression, storytelling, insightful observation, box office, gross USA, budget, reviewed by Isabel Stevens, Alexandra Heller-Nicholas, Nicole Armour, Jake Wilson, Matthew Lickona, Michael Atkinson, David Walsh, C.J Prince, Charles Mudede, Kiva Reardon, Peter Labuza, MPAA rating, producer, directed by, written by, starring
Worldwide gross: $354,971
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $443,624
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,764
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 48,378
US/Canada gross: $253,941
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $317,362
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,445
US/Canada opening weekend: $10,049
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $12,559
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,658
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
Larry Keith – self
Luke Syson – self
Dawson Carr – self
Ashok Roy – self
David Jaffe – self
Pierre-Olivier Bardet – producer
Frederick Wiseman – director, producer
Director(s)
Frederick Wiseman
Writer(s)
NA
Producer(s)
Pierre-Olivier Bardet, Frederick Wiseman
Film Festivals
Cannes, Toronto
Awards & Nominations
1 win & 9 nominations
Academy Awards
All Critics (66) | Top Critics (39) | Fresh (63) | Rotten (3)
Some of the film’s most fascinating moments pay tribute to the gallery’s technical prowess and craftsmanship.
August 27, 2018
Isabel Stevens
Sight & Sound
TOP CRITIC
Wiseman’s fly-on-the-wall style is the perfect formal approach to cut through the surface of pretence that dominates any kind of major institution’s vision of itself, and it is this fascination with institutions that has marked Wiseman’s lengthy career.
August 25, 2018
Alexandra Heller-Nicholas
The Blue Lenses
TOP CRITIC
The film upholds the belief that the commonalities of self-expression, storytelling, and insightful observation reverberate through time.
August 3, 2015
Nicole Armour
Film Comment Magazine
TOP CRITIC
To say Frederick Wiseman makes observational documentaries is like saying Alfred Hitchcock made thrillers — accurate, but not the heart of the matter.
March 6, 2015 | Rating: 4/5
Jake Wilson
Sydney Morning Herald
TOP CRITIC
At three hours, the result is long, but perhaps less exhausting than a visit to the actual gallery, because of how thoroughly the mind is engaged even as the senses are saturated.
February 5, 2015 | Rating: 4/5
Matthew Lickona
San Diego Reader
TOP CRITIC
We’re used to documentaries having a pedagogical or activist itinerary, but Wiseman’s have become fastidiously unpedantic — his simple Terence-like interest in what other human beings do and how they do it is more than enough.
February 4, 2015
Michael Atkinson
Sight & Sound
TOP CRITIC
…a stunning work…
July 8, 2020
David Walsh
World Socialist Web Site
The lack of something unifying everything together thematically holds National Gallery back from becoming something truly excellent.
June 8, 2019 | Rating: 7.5/10
C.J. Prince
Way Too Indie
There is no explanation for this documentary, no obvious goals, nor a narrator to guide us. We just watch and listen. Also, National Gallery is Wiseman’s most beautiful documentary since La Danse,
August 28, 2018
Charles Mudede
The Stranger (Seattle, WA)
Wiseman does what he does best: creates a holistic sense of a place as an organic habitat rather than a mere organization.
September 30, 2017
Kiva Reardon
Cinema Scope
As National Gallery/ will show, paintings can communicate many things to many different people, and this latest institution makes for a unique look at the role of art in public life.
June 6, 2016 | Rating: B
Peter Labuza
The Film Stage
National Gallery is a snooty version of those BBC fly-on-the -wall series such as Airport.
December 22, 2015 | Rating: 1/5
Grant Rollings
The Sun (UK)…
Plot
National Gallery is a documentary that follows the education programs, scholars, scientists, and curators who work and enjoy the National Gallery in London.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
National Gallery is a documentary film directed by Frederick Wiseman, featuring various scholars, scientists, and curators who work at the National Gallery in London.
Frederick-Wiseman.jpg
