Theremin: An Electronic Odyssey

Fascinating story. Well-done film. I had never heard of Theremin, although of course I had heard the sound of the instrument in movies and in Good Vibrations. The film documented a piece of musical history and an unusual life story while many of the principle players were still alive to participate.

It is not only a story about music, but also about the reach of the Soviet Union into the U.S. It is amazing that this story has not received more attention in the past. In the process of telling about Theremin's life, the film gives a glimpse into the lives of other artists who were associated with him in New York and of his influence on contemporary music.

Underfire apparently did see this documentary but does not remember Clara Rockmore's name. Yes, Brian Wilson was annoying and rambled too long. Maybe a psychological study of excessive partying and drug abuse would make for another documentary on rock stars. Seeing Professor Theremin was richly rewarding to me. Clara Rockmore was wonderful to watch. Her mastery of the Theremin is amazing. It took me awhile to make up my mind but I purchased the DVD and I'm glad I did.

THEREMIN: AN ELECTRONIC ODYSSEY is a documentary on both the Theremin, the instrument, and Prof. Leon Theremin, the inventor. The film follows both through a strange sequence of events and interweaves these stories with those influenced by the machine and the man. Some of the interviewees include Clara Rockman, a virtuoso Theremin player, and one time love of Prof. Theremin. Robert Moog, who went on to create the massive Moog synth--and it turns out, who started out by building Theremins himself. Nicolas Slonimsky, a composer who studied the work of Prof. Theremin. And Brian Wilson, which brings me to my first problem with the film: Even though Wilson is amusing with his burned out rambling, his interview goes on far to long and adds little to the flow of the story. I can see why the director, Steven M. Martin, wanted to use this footage, however it is obvious that Wilson can neither play the instrument nor knew what one was until Phil Spector brought it to him. I would have much rather seen more about Bernard Herrmann's score for THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL, which, sadly, has not had the lasting impact of "Good Vibrations". Anyway...

Well it turns out that at one point midway through his life, Prof. Theremin was kidnapped by the KGB and brought back to Russia. Second problem: those shadowy years are explained by Theremin himself, however being in his mid-nineties and speaking broken English. It is very hard to tell what happened and when, although some other sources flesh it out to a certain degree. Subtitles or a better microphone would have helped. He apparently was involved with electronic listening devices and received an award from Lenin himself. Heady stuff for a single man's journey through life. Although, the film remains too aloof to capture the whole scope of Theremin's story.

That is not to say that the film does not have some great moments. The scenes of the elderly Russian inventor wandering, alone, through the busy streets of an urban sprawl are haunting and sad. And simply to witness Rockman performing on the instrument is incredible, the way the smallest movement to her fingers creates an unique sound. I was familiar with the story before I saw the film, but it did not shed much light on the questions I had. It is a good film for someone who has never even heard of the Theremin before, but I felt it fell short of it's promise of really delving deep into the story and casting light on corners that will more than likely remain shrouded with gloom. 6/10.

In the 20's and 30's, Russian emigrant Leonard "Leon" Theremin surprised the world with his musical invention, the theremin, and electronic musical instrument. He lived in New York, with members of high society, including Einstein and Clara Rockmore, among his friends. He married an Afro-American dancer Lavinia Williams, what it was uncommon at that time. He gave concerts, including in the Carnegie Hall, with his instrument. However, in 1938, he disappeared and later discovered that he was kidnapped by KGB Agents. He was sent to a Gulag labor camp and when he was released, he worked for KGB. When his friends find him in Russia, he returns to United States to meet his Clara Rockwood and his former friends before his death in 1993, in Moscow.

"Theremin: An Electronic Odyssey" (1993) is a documentary by Steven M. Martin about the life of the father of the electronic music, Leon Theramin. It is an amazing documentary, showing footages of Theramin since the 20's; his influence in the sci-fi movies from the 50's and in Robert Moog, the inventor of the Moog Synthetizer used mainly by progressive bands in the 70's. There is the important statement of Clara Rockwood, including in her eighteenth birthday party and a virtuoso in Theremin. Never released in Brazil, the DVD released by MGM Home Entertainment is shameful, indicating subtitles in Spanish and cc that do not exist. Only subtitles in French are available in this DVD. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): Not Available.

I owe my watching this documentary to my strange daughter. Now I do not mean this in a bad way--I come from a family of strange people and the fact that she KNEW what a theremin was surprised me, as I sure didn't. Apparently a theremin is a magnificent electronic musical instrument created in the early part of the 20th century by Dr. Theremin--a genius who had immigrated to the US around the time of the Russian Revolution. This film, then, is about the instrument and its inventor--and it makes for a slow but very interesting story worth seeing even if you are not a musician. I am certainly not one, but I found myself marveling at the beautiful and other-worldly sound of this machine. In fact, we have all heard the theremin before--most often in sci-fi movies but even in other places such as the Beach Boys' song "Good Vibrations". And, speaking of this, seeing Brian Wilson interviewed was pretty bizarre, as he looked pretty good but the more he talked the more you realized that he still is quite mentally ill.

Anyway, there is MUCH more to the story in regards to Dr. Theremin--much more, but I don't want to say more because it would spoil this wonderful film. His life, put simply, is MUCH stranger than fiction! I give the documentary very high marks for all the effort it took to construct--with trips to Moscow, locating the Doctor, arranging for interviews, etc.. Clearly this was a labor of love and I appreciate this. The only reason i don't rate this even higher is that it is a bit dry in places and although it kept my interest, I have a much larger capacity than normal for this sort of thing...and the average person might just find their mind wandering. Still, it's fascinating and I strongly recommend you try it.