''The Romantic Spirit'' is a 1982 British documentary television series in 14 episodes about the
Romantic movement in
Western culture
Leonardo da Vinci's ''Vitruvian Man''. Based on the correlations of ideal Body proportions">human proportions with geometry described by the ancient Roman architect Vitruvius in Book III of his treatise ''De architectura''.
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. The series is an Anglo-French-German production presented by R.M. Productions (Film & Television) Ltd. and
FR3, devised by
Marcel Brion
Marcel Brion (; 21 November 1895 – 23 October 1984) was a French essayist, literary critic, novelist, and historian.
Early life
The son of a lawyer, Brion was classmates in Thiers with Marcel Pagnol and Albert Cohen. After completing his ...
of the
Académie Française
An academy (Attic Greek: Ἀκαδήμεια; Koine Greek Ἀκαδημία) is an institution of secondary education, secondary or tertiary education, tertiary higher education, higher learning (and generally also research or honorary membershi ...
, with the executive producers being Michèle Arnaud and Theodore Salata.
The English-language version, by Landseer Film & Television Productions, London, is written by Carla Heffner, adapted for television by Judy Marle, with the production supervisor being Terri Winders, and introduced and narrated by
Anthony Andrews
Anthony Colin Gerald Andrews (born 12 January 1948) is an English actor. He played Lord Sebastian Flyte in the ITV miniseries ''Brideshead Revisited'' (1981), for which he won Golden Globe and BAFTA television awards, and was nominated for an ...
, from the
house of John Keats, Hampstead, London.
Individual episodes of the series cover sundry Romantic themes and topics.
The series was broadcast in North America on the
A&E Network
A&E is an American basic cable network, the flagship television property of A&E Networks. The network was originally founded in 1984 as the Arts & Entertainment Network, initially focusing on fine arts, documentaries, television drama, dramas, and ...
from 1985 until 1991.
Episode Titles
1. "The Romantic Explosion"
irected by Jean-Louis Fournier- Anthony Andrews profiles writers and painters of the 18th- and 19th-century Romantic Movement.
2. "Blood, Sea & Sand"
irected by Michel Pamart- The paintings of Delacroix, Turner and Goya illustrate Romanticism in nature.
3. "Paradise Lost"
irected by Jean-Louis Fournier- Poems by Wordsworth and Goethe illustrate the theme of wild, pure nature as freedom.
4. "The Romantic Hero"
irected by Michel Pamart- The ideals of poets Byron and Chateaubriand reflect the Romantic concept of poet as hero.
5. "The Romantic Journey"
irected by Bernard Guillon- An examination of Goethe's 'Faust,' including readings, illustrates the Romantic view of life as a voyage of discovery.
6. "Battle of the Stage"
irected by Jean-Louis Fournier- Plays of Schiller and Kleist depict the Romantic philosophy of the hero as a renegade.
7. "Night"
irected by Daniel Lander- Dreams influence the Romantic artists.
8. "Triumph of Death"
irected by Jean-Louis Fournier- The 'art' of death influences Romantic writers.
9. "The Golden Age"
irected by Hans S. Lampe- Works by Blake and Keats illustrate the Romantic yearning for a return to a free and peaceful 'Golden Age.'
10. "Music of the Soul"
irected by Patrick Meunier The music of Beethoven, Schubert, Schumann, and Liszt expresses the deeper emotions.
11. "Romantic Women"
irected by Jochen Richter- Female writers participate in the Romantic movement, including Mary Shelley (author of ''Frankenstein''), Karoline von Günderrode, the sisters Brontë, and Georges Sand.
12. "Victor Hugo & The Romantic Century"
irected by Yvon Gerault- Poet, novelist and playwright Victor Hugo personifies the Romantic era.
13. "The Triumph of Romanticism?"
irected by Daniel Lander- The Romantic movement in Paris pits intellectuals against aristocracy.
14. "The Romantic Heritage"
irected by Jean-Louis Fournier- Romanticism of the 19th century influences the 20th.
References
External links
*
''The Romantic Spirit'' entry at the British Universities Film & Video Council
{{DEFAULTSORT:Romantic Spirit, The
British television documentaries
Historical television series
Documentary films about the visual arts
Romanticism