A brilliant film, with extraordinary acting and direction. The haunting script captures the way crucial moments in one's early life influence all that follows---and posits that any present moment contains elements of our past and hints of our future. The way various biographical info is presented is canny--and often comic. The wrenching performance by the star surely deserved more awards than this video garnished. I would rate this a ten if it had been slightly cut--we labor too long to achieve the finale, and, yes, I would have appreciated more views of the paintings themselves in order to see his development as an artist. Nevertheless, this film left me dazed with delight.
2 Reviews
A portrait of the life of Vincent Van Gogh from childhood to death.
lists-16124 July 2013
Thankfully this telling of the life of Vincent Van Gogh doesn't dodge Vincent's disturbed mind but fails to develop a coherent presentation. Van Gogh's life is presented in great detail, including a disturbed family life, the likely cause of his mental instability. The relationship between Vincent and his brother Theo is nicely developed, including its roots in childhood. For a lover of Van Gogh art there's very little about the growth of his his remarkable vision of art. The early paintings of the potato growers elided over completely. The director throws together a pastiche of repetitive events using a mix of film editing styles and hopes the viewer will sort it all out. Interesting but in the end disappointing.
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