‘Leonardo da Vinci’ Review: Ken Burns Steps Outside His Comfort Zone for His Latest PBS Docuseries, With Fascinating Results

by

As a lover of art and history, I found Ken Burns’ latest documentary, “Leonardo da Vinci,” to be a breathtaking journey through time and space. It’s not every day you get to feel like you’re standing next to Leonardo himself, sketching in his notebook or gazing at the Mona Lisa, all while listening to Guillermo del Toro wax poetic about da Vinci’s genius.

PBS’ latest two-part, four-hour production on Leonardo da Vinci is unlikely to reshape Ken Burns’ reputation as a master documentarian specializing in stories about American history.

As a fan, I found myself in unfamiliar territory with the director, collaborating regularly with Sarah Burns and David McMahon, on a different historical and cultural landscape. Surprisingly, the film titled Leonardo da Vinci (or should I keep saying Leonardo DiCaprio?), delves into a distinct visual and narrative approach that doesn’t necessarily reveal Leonardo as a person, but rather dives deep into the intricacies of his intellectual and artistic processes. The journey is not only educating but also captivating, making for a cumulative and often fascinating exploration.

I consistently believe that interviews with primary sources significantly enhance Burns’ documentaries, which is why I appreciate works like “Baseball,” find “The Dust Bowl” undervalued, and prefer “The Vietnam War” and “The War” over “The Civil War.” However, the upcoming documentary on “Leonardo da Vinci” stands out distinctly from more recent Ken Burns projects such as “The American Buffalo,” “Benjamin Franklin,” or “Hemingway,” all of which seemed like they could have been made by various PBS veterans. Instead, “Leonardo da Vinci” conveys a strong impression of intellectual activity, fitting for its subject and indicative of a well-thought-out production.

Guillermo del Toro, while not exactly a contemporary Leonardo da Vinci, shares with him an all-encompassing thirst for knowledge. In much the same way as da Vinci, del Toro is able to interpret and summarize artistic work, which appears to be what Ken Burns, Sarah Burns, and McMahon are striving to achieve here.

According to Del Toro, Leonardo da Vinci’s notebooks have a voracious, instantaneous effect on us as they offer a comprehensive view of the world all at once.

Simultaneity plays a crucial role in portraying Leonardo da Vinci, as the filmmakers depict him not just as a figure from the past but also someone timeless – embodying classic artistic themes while exhibiting progressive foresight in his ideas.

As a devoted admirer, I can’t help but marvel at the pivotal role the Da Vinci notebooks play in this documentary. Their unique, mirrored script, a testament to da Vinci’s genius, serves as the backbone of the film. The notebooks, brimming with explorations of nature and the human body, offer insights into his mathematical theories about artistic representation and our surrounding world. The directors, along with editors K.A. Mille and Woody Richman, masterfully weave together da Vinci’s thoughts, using split screens extensively – a creative choice that adds a fresh perspective to the Burns documentary tradition, deviating from its usual aesthetic elements.

As a passionate admirer, I find myself drawn into da Vinci’s world as I examine his sketches and designs. Here, I can witness the groundbreaking strides he made in crafting ornithopters and military machinery. Through these visual representations, I can discern the intricate connections he established between his studies of the human body and modern inventions.

The documentary subsequently combines Leonardo da Vinci’s unrealized inventions and their proposed realities, which were often more conceptual than feasible, with his well-known artistic creations. Paintings show up adorned with geometric patterns, and the study of light and anatomy in some pieces is compared to familiar frescoes. This connection has always been evident in works like The Vitruvian Man, but here it’s extended to many of his artworks.

The directors carry the interdisciplinary approach through to the selection of talking heads. There’s a surgeon who relates da Vinci’s study of anatomy to what we can maybe sense beneath the surface in his portraits. There’s an engineer, eagerly critiquing da Vinci’s flying machines. And then there’s del Toro, who could be best described here as a general da Vinci enthusiast, but who unsurprisingly delivers many of the documentary’s most engaging insights.

At this exhibit, you’ll find many art historians present, and it’s as if you’re on a guided tour at an art gallery, listening to an expert discuss Leonardo da Vinci’s most renowned pieces. The program delves deeply into several less-familiar, unfinished commissions (one of da Vinci’s characteristic traits being his tendency towards incompleteness). Of course, it also features the usual tribute to well-known works like “Lady with an Ermine,” “The Last Supper,” and the “Mona Lisa” – with the latter piece serving as the grand finale in a documentary chronicling da Vinci’s mastery of technique and knowledge.

Discussing techniques, specific ones like sfumato, chiaroscuro, and others, are demonstrated and illustrated through scenes showing skilled artisans actually performing those specific tasks.

It’s hard to find a deep and convincing portrayal of Leonardo da Vinci as a person in biographical terms, as some parts seem forced or unconvincing. Although various historians have different perspectives on him, they generally agree that his homosexuality is accepted, albeit with limited details about relationships such as the one with his longtime assistant and presumed lover Salaì. The first half of the work often focuses on this aspect, which may not hold as much interest for some viewers like myself. However, the second half becomes more engaging as it delves into a genius weaving together the strands of his work, making it more engaging.

In this rephrased version, here’s how it could read:

Why, one might wonder, is Keith David – known for his work in “Jazz,” “The War,” among others – the narrator of a Leonardo da Vinci documentary? This film, you see, represents a somewhat unique project for Ken Burns, Sarah Burns, and McMahon. While it’s not entirely novel, it certainly offers a fresh perspective.

Read More

2024-11-19 02:26