Rivers and Tides

Composite Score: 84.03

Featuring: Andy Goldsworthy, Anna Goldsworthy, Holly Goldsworthy, James Goldsworthy, Judith Goldsworthy, and Thomas Goldsworthy

Director: Thomas Riedelsheimer

Writer: Thomas Riedelsheimer

Genres: Documentary, Art, Nature

MPAA Rating: G

Box Office: $2.26 million worldwide

Why should you Watch This Film?

                Rivers and Tides is Thomas Riedelsheimer’s documentary about the sculpture artist Andy Goldsworthy. The film follows Goldsworthy as he creates sculptures around the world from the pieces of nature that he finds there, shaping them after his own impressions of rivers, tides, and his own inner understanding of the world. Though a documentary in form, it acts more as an art exhibit of some of Goldsworthy’s work, with plenty of art put on display for its brief existence before the forces of nature erase it. Goldsworthy provides most of the film’s voiceover work, describing his own thought processes and feelings as he works, imparting some impression of his mission to the audience in the process. It all looks very good, and by the time you’re done, you’ll leave with the feeling of having been down to the art museum in a very intense way, so it’s worth checking out at least once.

Why shouldn’t you Watch This Film?

                If you don’t enjoy viewing art or nature and/or aren’t curious about an artist’s process, Rivers and Tides does not offer much else. Goldsworthy’s works are always wondrous to behold, and his process is truly fascinating to watch and enlightening to listen to. It’s just that some people really don’t love that kind of thing, so they’d be pretty frustrated watching this film. (I do personally believe that everyone should add more art to their lives, even people who don’t think they like it, because of how mentally and emotionally and sometimes spiritually enriching it can be to experience human creativity, but maybe your first experience shouldn’t be with a film about a single artist.)

So wait, why should you Watch This Film?

                As I said above, Andy Goldsworthy and his work and process make Rivers and Tides worth watching. His ability to imbue nature with new, yet still natural, forms boggles the mind and leaves the audience pondering their own connections with the natural world and its connection with them (and without them). Being invited along for the journey of making just a few of the artist’s works feels like a one-of-a-kind treat, worth checking out if you care at all for art or nature or both or even neither. His works that last only for a moment (intentionally so) leave the audience with a sense of wonder and self-awareness that is difficult to find elsewhere.

                Thanks to Goldsworthy’s truly rewarding art and his vision for creating something that inspires an awareness of our own temporality, Rivers and Tides has earned itself a spot on the list of Greatest Films of All Time. It might not be a film that immediately draws your attention, but at least one watch should leave you with a greater appreciation for the artist, his work, and the world we live in. It is currently streaming for free with ads on Tubi or to rent on most other streaming services.