i think their reading of the paintings is pretty simple simplistic. obviously the later paintings of the ship and the train are about age and death. in one a former gloriously old ship is now retired and being pulled towards its end. literally being pulled by a black boat into darkness. the train is this black square shooting out of the light. the train is about to run over the rabbit. he's an old man at this point. at least unconsciously he's painting about his own mortality.
I don't agree with any of this. Seems to be evidence manufactured to fit a premise. I doubt Turner gave too much of a toss about the Industrial Revolution -- no more than someone who is used to computers today (we just use them, take them for a fact of useful life). To us, today, we see clearly the effects of the Industrial Revolution in looking back, but to say Turner had that perspective in looking at natural day-to-day developments is foolish. What Turner did like, simply, is that industry provided him with artistic elements he could use so well: steam, smoke, harsh lines, shadows, focus of activity - and then juxtapose all of those in atmostphere. So, a ridiculous premise in this documentary, but lovely to see the context of Turner's paintings as we now can.
