JS Bach

Resonating with a melancholy poetry JS Bach is a subjective essay that merges a reflection on identity and the creative process with a lyrical documentary on the life of Johann Sebastian Bach Shot in the wintry landscapes of Bachs native East Germany this densely layered nuanced work intertwines biography with Downeys personal visual and verbal commentary Three nonlinear narrative strands function as a spoken fugue while three compositions provide the musical voice of Bach The tripartite structure Death Flashback and Counterpoint and complex associative visual strategies function as a compositional analogy to Bachs own musical principles of equal temperament and counterpoint the organization of multiple melodies into a clear rhythmic and harmonic relation This fourth part of The Thinking Eye series was termed a stunningly beautiful video a profound vision under masterful technical control by the LA Weekly