Hopper's Silence

Director Brian O'Doherty zooms in on Edward Hopper's paintings and the locations that inspired them, in this light-hearted treatment of a topic that could easily have become dry and academic. Hopper and his wife Jo are shown in footage taken in their studios on Washington Square before their deaths in 1967 and '68, respectively. Laconic and as taciturn as his paintings, Hopper is shown in an old television interview, only one step this side of mute. This style of being, and the style and content of his paintings are brought out partly by direct observation, partly by interviewing acquaintances, and partly by juxtaposing a good contrast in tone or approach to the subject at hand.