Levitated Mass: The Story of Michael Heizer's Monolithic Sculpture

2014

Levitated Mass: The Story of Michael Heizer's Monolithic Sculpture

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74%

Audience Score

User Ratings: 216

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Levitated Mass: The Story of Michael Heizer's Monolithic Sculpture Photos

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Movie Info

Levitated Mass is the story behind the monumental artwork of the same name by Michael Heizer, which is now installed at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. First conceived in 1968 but not technologically possible until 2012, this two-story tall, 340-ton granite boulder was moved from its desert quarry over 105 miles on a custom-built, 206-wheeled tractor trailer to its permanent home at the world-renowned art museum. Pray's documentary follows the boulder's historic journey, which caused an international media sensation as it challenged the imagination of hundreds of thousands of spectators over the ten nights it crawled through the streets of Los Angeles, defiantly provoking the question, 'is that a multi-million dollar work of art or just a big rock'? Pray captures the spectacle of it all, as well as the reactions-ranging from awe to outrage-from the crowds of people who watched it journey through LA's depressed inner city as well as through neighborhoods filled with million dollar homes. (c) First Run Features

Rating:

NR
Genre:

Documentary, Special Interest
Directed By:

Doug Pray
In Theaters:

Sep 5, 2014 limited
On Disc/Streaming:

Dec 15, 2014
Box Office:

$15,252
Runtime:

89 minutes
Studio:

First Run Features

Cast

Michael Govan

John Bowsher

Ron Elad

Chrissie Iles

Critic Reviews for Levitated Mass: The Story of Michael Heizer's Monolithic Sculpture

All Critics (6) | Top Critics (2) | Fresh (6)

Sneakily compelling ...

November 13, 2014 | Full Review…

Jeannette Catsoulis
New York Times
Top Critic
As soon as anyone starts say something thoughtful about Heizer or the social value of art, Pray jumps to another neat-looking wide shot of the rock to keep us oohing and aahing.

October 23, 2014 | Full Review…

Ben Sachs
Chicago Reader
Top Critic
"Levitated Mass" is document, critique and celebration all in one.

October 3, 2014 | Rating: 3.5/5 | Full Review…

Jamie S. Rich
Oregonian
Levitated Mass is more entertaining than a glowing artist profile has any right to be, because Pray remembers where his subject came from.

September 3, 2014 | Rating: 3.5/5 | Full Review…

Andrew Lapin
The Dissolve
As a chronicle of a city falling in love with a rock, Levitated Mass shines. As a documentary on the nature of art, however, it misses a few big opportunities to reach for something truly fascinating and profound.

June 5, 2014 | Rating: 3/5 | Full Review…

Daniel Walber
Nonfics
Pray's film, though not as weighty or groundbreaking - no pun intended - as its subject, nevertheless does a good job of presenting both art and artist ...

April 2, 2014 | Rating: 3.25/5 | Full Review…

Cameron Meier
Orlando Weekly