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I am really surprised no one mentioned two exceptional films of the "Golden Age" of Hollywood ... both highly regarded by the critics:
Lust For Life (1956) starring Kirk Douglas and Anthony Quinn. Directed by the great Vincente Minelli. Doughlas plays Vincent Van Gogh, and doesn't sugar coat the great painter's mental illness. A bio-pic of the of the obsessive and tortured Dutch Post Impressionist. It's a little hard to be sympathetic to Vincent because he is just so intense and self absorbed. Beautiful photography and outdoor scenes.
Rembrandt (1936) starring Charles Laughton and Elsa Lanchester. Directed by the great Alexander Korda, this is a biopic of the great Dutch Old Master himself. Laughton portrays Rembrandt as a wise, philosophical, but impractical man. When the movie was made it conformed to the "facts" about the great artist's life as commonly believed at that time ... that he was born of a modest peasant miller's family, and the high society of Amsterdam rejected his "Night Watch" which hastened his decline in popularity as a portrait painter. Research since then has debunked those myths: Rembrandt was the privileged son of a miller, but a successful affluent one ... and he was enrolled in Latin School and also the University in his home town of Leiden. The Night Watch was not rejected, but the aging Rembrandt gradually lost important commissions to younger and more fashionable painters - some of whom were his students!
lust for life was amazing. I saw an interview w/kirk douglas, he said on set he could truly feel the spirit of van gogh with him
Another more recent film about Rembrandt is Nightwatching (2007), I haven't seen it yet, but I understand that it is about Rembrandt's creation of The Night Watch, and the great artist learns there there is a murder conspiracy concerning members of this famous group portrait and uses allegory to document the misdeeds of this group.
I am really surprised no one mentioned two exceptional films of the "Golden Age" of Hollywood ... both highly regarded by the critics:
Lust For Life (1956) starring Kirk Douglas and Anthony Quinn. Directed by the great Vincente Minelli. Doughlas plays Vincent Van Gogh, and doesn't sugar coat the great painter's mental illness. A bio-pic of the of the obsessive and tortured Dutch Post Impressionist. It's a little hard to be sympathetic to Vincent because he is just so intense and self absorbed. Beautiful photography and outdoor scenes.
Rembrandt (1936) starring Charles Laughton and Elsa Lanchester. Directed by the great Alexander Korda, this is a biopic of the great Dutch Old Master himself. Laughton portrays Rembrandt as a wise, philosophical, but impractical man. When the movie was made it conformed to the "facts" about the great artist's life as commonly believed at that time ... that he was born of a modest peasant miller's family, and the high society of Amsterdam rejected his "Night Watch" which hastened his decline in popularity as a portrait painter. Research since then has debunked those myths: Rembrandt was the privileged son of a miller, but a successful affluent one ... and he was enrolled in Latin School and also the University in his home town of Leiden. The Night Watch was not rejected, but the aging Rembrandt gradually lost important commissions to younger and more fashionable painters - some of whom were his students!
i mentioned alexander korda's rembrandt earlier (post 14). love that movie. charles laughton and his wife are outstanding. i especially like toward the end when the entourage realize they are drinking with rembrandt van rijn!
lust for life? love that movie.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Clark Park
Another more recent film about Rembrandt is Nightwatching (2007), I haven't seen it yet, but I understand that it is about Rembrandt's creation of The Night Watch, and the great artist learns there there is a murder conspiracy concerning members of this famous group portrait and uses allegory to document the misdeeds of this group.
thanks! that looks very interesting. have added it to my queue.
The Agony and the Ecstasy (1965)
(The biographical story of Michelangelo's troubles while painting the Sistine Chapel at the urging of Pope Julius II.)
What I liked about this movie was that even Michelangelo had to paint for his customers and not just for his preferences. Some artists feel that to be pure they cannot bow to the consumer and will only do what they want. They feel it is not true art if it has succombed to the clients wishes and input. In fact all the Masters had to appease clients or they wouldn't get work or find patrons. The work we viewed as inspired by them alone we are now discovering tweaks and changes the Masters did on the masterpieces, thanks to computers, xrays and other technology. Hid for centuries we can now see the drastic and radical changes some paintings underwent. I have to wonder how many irate clients were insisting on their hands being moved or colors being changed or even completed paintings cut to change the size.
The Agony and the Ecstasy (1965)
(The biographical story of Michelangelo's troubles while painting the Sistine Chapel at the urging of Pope Julius II.)
What I liked about this movie was that even Michelangelo had to paint for his customers and not just for his preferences. Some artists feel that to be pure they cannot bow to the consumer and will only do what they want. They feel it is not true art if it has succombed to the clients wishes and input. In fact all the Masters had to appease clients or they wouldn't get work or find patrons. The work we viewed as inspired by them alone we are now discovering tweaks and changes the Masters did on the masterpieces, thanks to computers, xrays and other technology. Hid for centuries we can now see the drastic and radical changes some paintings underwent. I have to wonder how many irate clients were insisting on their hands being moved or colors being changed or even completed paintings cut to change the size.
Directed by Carol Reed; The Third Man, Out Man in Havana. Thanks for the recommendation.
Almost missed this one...a great great film...'The Mill and the Cross' directed by Lech Majewski . The film is called a 'meditation' on Bruegel's painting 'The Way to Calvary. Rutger Hauer pays Bruegel who goes over the painting as it's being recreated on screen. What you learn is that almost every millimeter in Bruegel's painting means something. The film really shows it!
Almost missed this one...a great great film...'The Mill and the Cross' directed by Lech Majewski . The film is called a 'meditation' on Bruegel's painting 'The Way to Calvary. Rutger Hauer pays Bruegel who goes over the painting as it's being recreated on screen. What you learn is that almost every millimeter in Bruegel's painting means something. The film really shows it!
Wow, a lot of films here I have not heard of! I personally love Frida for it's quirkiness and awesome soundtrack, and Modigliani. Modigliani has a beautiful scene where several painters are preparing for a show, working in their own styles. The music in the background is haunting and it makes me want to paint every time I see it. Likewise, I enjoyed Pollock, especially the one scene where the artist stares at the large canvas for a while until BOOM inspiration hits, the canvas speaks, and he finds himself painting.
I "third" Pollock. An excellent movie! Ed Harris was apparently obsessed with getting it made, and he does a great job playing Jackson Pollock. It's fun to look at real photos of Pollock, in front of his works, and compare them to scenes in the movie. Marcia Gay Harden won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress, and Ed Harris was nominated for Best Actor, but I don't think he won.
SIRENS! It's about a fictional artist though, so...
Starring Sam Neil...unfortunately it also has Hugh Grant.
Lots of great scenery in it!
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love that movie. charles laughton and his wife are outstanding. i especially like toward the end when the entourage realize they are drinking with rembrandt van rijn! 
