West Wind: The Vision of Tom Thomson

The Canadian documentary exposes the life, art, and death of Thomson, an artist associated with the Group of Seven who died mysteriously in 1917 shortly before his fortieth birthday.

The elements of the film make it rich in many ways: the life (albeit shortened) of a fascinating person, the visions of beautiful paintings and the settings (mainly Algonquin Park plus Georgian Bay), footage and photos of the time period (informing us that Toronto did indeed have many beautiful historical buildings at one time), and audio recordings and written texts (re-enacted) of those who knew the artist well. Then there are the known discussions and debates.

Some subjects included the boldness of being an artist in a social environment where this profession was badly misunderstood - especially his time spent staring at beautiful scenery "doing nothing" (so very much against the Protestant work ethic - poo poo) and mostly the debates about whether to enlist for World War I - an event that was massively changing the world.

At times, the film seems more suited to television than documentary film. There are also times where it feels like too much verbal information is given in a condensed period of time - making the film seem a bit long. However, the content does a fine job for the occasional limitations in the execution. - dbamateurcritic