movies that deal with art / artists? (1 Viewer)

[Guy_K]

Any recommendations on movies or documentaries that deal with art and/or artists? This is obviously a very general term, 'art' because there are so many mediums of artistic expression. To be specific, I've seen and enjoyed POLLOCK and FRIDA, and I'm interested in other movies that deal with art.

The art of music would also be interesting, I love films like AMADEUS and SHINE. Movies about struggling writers/directors, 8 1/2, ADAPTATION, ALL THAT JAZZ, DECONSTRUCTING HARRY. I'm open to all recommendations, but primarily looking for what I wrote in the beginning of this post, I want to say painters, but that would really narrow this down.

 

[John Watson]

Topic that I once thought of posting on...

I plan to order ULYSSES next month, a movie about Leopold Bloom's 24 hours, that I enjoyed 20 or so years ago.

I have been keeping an eye out for STEPPENWOLF, a movie based on Hesse's novel, that I saw around the same time.

You might enjoy one that is on disk, THE MODERNS, which mixes Hemingway, art, and 20's Paris, in a nice comedy.

I haven't seen FRIDA, or BAATSQUI (sp?, I'm sure I'm way off on that one). PICASSO has been a movie subject a few times, I'm sure.

THE HORSES's MOUTH, a movie based on Joyce Cary's story about artists, is perhaps on DVD too.

I also liked Amadeus, and IMMORTAL BELOVED.

Hope you get more suggestions

 

[Lew Crippen]

Charles Laughton stars as Rembrandt in the 1936 film of the same name. Don’t expect to learn too much about his art, however—it is a bit light in that area.

 

[Chris Lynch]

Basquiat--David Bowie plays Andy Warhol.

Have they ever made a movie about DaVinci? I would love to see that.

 

[MartinTeller]

Crumb
American Splendor
Hannah and her Sisters (the parts about Max von Sydow's character)
Akira Kurosawa's Dreams (segment about Vincent Van Gogh)
New York Stories (the Nick Nolte/Roseanne Arquette section)

 

[Lew Crippen]

This is a bit odd, but John Cusack starred as Max Rothman an art dealer returned from WWI after losing an arm in a 2000 film titled, Max.

Rothman (an historical person), a Jew befriends Adolph Hitler, as Hitler attempts to become a successful artist.

This is a film worth seeking out.

 

[Mike Broadman]

I think Ed Harris made a movie about Pollack.

And the new film Girl With the Peal Earing starring Scarlett Johanssen is about the painting of the same name.

 

[Brook K]

Andrei Rublev - Tarkovsky's eloquent epic about the Russian icon painter.

Sullivan's Travels - A director sets out to learn something about poverty so he can make a serious, dramatic picture.

Barton Fink - A successful playwright heads for Hollywood. How hard could it be to write a Wallace Beery wrestling picture?

Blind Beast - In this film by Japanese director Yasuzo Masumura, a blind sculptor/painter kidnaps a gorgeous model to be his subject.

The Shape of Things - Neil Labute's latest and greatest about a very special art project.

Fireworks - Takeshi Kitano's film about the tragedies and triumphs of two policeman, one of which turns to painting to recover from a paralyzing injury.

 

[SteveGon]

La Belle Noiseuse - A lengthy but rewarding French film that really gets into the artistic process. You also get to see Emmanuelle Beart really naked.

 

[Marc Colella]

Vincent and Theo
- Altman film on Vincent van Gogh.

32 Short Films About Glenn Gould
- Character study of the great Canadian pianist

Bullets Over Broadway

Topsy-Turvy
- Mike Leigh film about Gilbert and Sullivan's "The Mikado"

 

[ChuckSolo]

The ones that come to mind are:

The Agony and the Ecstacy
Immortal Beloved
The Eddie Duchin Story
Pollack
Lust for Life

Just to name a few.

 

[Paul_Scott]

La Belle Noiseuse is very highly recommended!
as is Lust For Life- the Kirk Douglas bio of Vincent Van Gogh
and Crumb.

in a bit more adventurous interpretation of the word 'artist', i would also include Tucker: a Man And His Dream.
although the concern here is more involved with industrial design than fine art, everytime i watch the film, i see quite obvious parallels between Preston Tuckers drive and conflicts and what you usually find with conventioanl artist bios.
balancing asthetics with functionality,
balancing craftsmanship with fiscal frugality.

 

[John Watson]

Some good suggestions coming out - THE RED VIOLIN is brilliant.

MAX sounds very interesting.

There was a movie about Isadora Duncan I saw when it came out, tho I don't know if it's on DVD.

I SHOT ANDY WARHOL (title?) should count, though I never saw it.

SISTER WENDY's art gallery tours are on DVD I believe, there must be much more though.

I would also love to see something about Leonardo da Vinci, but I don't know if he has ever been the subject of a film? He was much, much more than an artist.

 

[John Watson]

MAN OF FLOWERS from Image is about loving art, with a house of wax twist.

 

[Andy Sheets]

The Whole Wide World - an early Renee Zellwegger film that stars Vincet D'Onofrio as Robert E. Howard, the creator of Conan the Barbarian. The movie's kind of an "almost romance" between the two characters, and D'Onofrio is especially good in his role.

 

[Lew Crippen]

American Splendor, about Harvey Pekar and his underground comic.

 

[Werner_R]

Lust for life (1956) with Kirk Douglas as Vincent Van Gogh.

 

[Michael Reuben]

Basquiat--David Bowie plays Andy Warhol.

More importantly, Jeffrey Wright plays Basquiat.

I don't believe anyone's mentioned the original Moulin Rouge.

M.

 

[KDHM]

Ken Russell's "Savage Messiah" based on the life of french sculptor Henri Gaudier
kd

 

[John Watson]

Ken Russell movies may have focussed on art a lot - I can never remember the title of the one about the Pre-Raphaelites?

Never saw his Lizt, which feature Roger Daltrey from The Who.