Curator’s View: Glow: A Cinematic Moodscape

Miloš Forman directed Peter Shaffer’s screenplay, based on his Tony Award–winning play, about the 18th century rivalry between journeyman court composer Antonio Salieri (F. Murray Abraham in an Academy Award–winning tour de force) and young upstart Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (fellow Best Actor nominee Tom Hulce). Saul Zaentz’s lavish production features opulent period details, while Shaffer’s witty script speaks eloquently about the challenge of art while leaving room for Mozart’s gorgeous music. The film earned 11 nominations, and its eight Oscar wins include Best Picture, Art Direction, Costume Design, Directing, Makeup, Sound, and for Shaffer’s adapted screenplay.

Grace Stewart (Nicole Kidman) keeps the curtains drawn at all hours of the day in her opulent manor to protect her children, Anne and Nicholas, from crippling photosensitivity. When three travelers appear in search of work, Grace hires them to tend to the home and the children, noting the previous employees “vanished” just days ago. The arrival of the new workers seems to trigger paranormal incidents throughout the home. Set in 1945 Jersey, United Kingdom, this brooding psychological horror highlights the depths of Kidman’s range and Amenábar’s imagination.

Baz Luhrmann’s take on Shakespeare’s tragedy is perhaps one of the best-loved adaptations and is the second installment in his Red Curtain Trilogy, which closed with Moulin Rouge! (2001). Featuring Luhrmann’s distinctive, stylized palate coupled with frenetic, MTV-style editing and an all-star soundtrack, Romeo + Juliet became a classic for its casting, with Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes playing the star-crossed lovers.