MOVIES ABOUT THE LIVES OF ARTISTS

Forums: Movies, Art, Films, Movie Genres, Biopics
Email this Topic • Print this Page

Im trying to update our DVD on line-Que and we want to concentrate on some good movies about the lives of various artists (including Ray Charles). We are interested in painters and sculptors, so my que will be honed .
Ill start with afairly good movie about Francisco Goya called GOYA"S GHOSTS. In this movie Goya is actually a secondary character and it actually follows the life of one of his models. It comes full circle like a Coen brothers movie so it is somewhat predictable in the end.BUT ya gotta wait for the denoument. Id give it a solid 3 stars out of four

Topic Stats
Top Replies
Link to this Topic

Type: Discussion • Score: 6 • Views: 4,732 • Replies: 31

No top replies

@farmerman,

If you haven't already seen it, you may find this PBS series of interest. The full episodes of all seasons of the series are available for viewing on the PBS site.

http://www.pbs.org/art21/series/index.html

0 Replies

Lust for Life, about Vincent Van Gough, is one that should be in your queue. Kirk Douglas was nominated for an Oscar for his portrayal.

http://www.amazon.com/Lust-Life-Kirk-Douglas/dp/B000BYA4HY/ref=pd_bxgy_d_img_a

1 Reply

@Butrflynet,

I saw Lust for Life quite a few times, so its not on my que, It was a great movie though. I got the sense of his seeking to make a breakthrough in his art.
"Moulin Rouge" with mel Ferrer was pretty good. I really like the way Lautrec saw the human figure, from down so low to the ground he got a real sense of mass and he was a master at foreshortening.

0 Replies

2 movies I've never seen because of their tragic aspects and the intensity of the lead performers are "Basquiat" with Jeffery Wright and "Pollock" with Ed Harris. I'm sure both of these movies are very good but extremely heavy and without joy of any kind. I just don't have the heart to watch them.

0 Replies

@farmerman,

I'll second Pollock in terms of biopics.

As for documentaries? How about Ken Burns' Frank Lloyd Wright.
Also, the PBS documentary entitled Alfred Stieglitz: The Eloquent Eye from the American Masters series.

Then we have Rivers and Tides: Andy Goldsworthy Working with Time (2001). It's not a biographical documentary but it's a great documentary on the artist's work ethic and process of creativity.

1 Reply

@tsarstepan,

Pollock had its moments of joy, (punctuated by moments of sheer terror). Ill add Basquiat to my list. and some of the Documentaries youve mentioned your Tsarness.

I saw the Frank Lloyd Wright and the one of I M Pei, both were interesting demanding guys.

I saw the Okeefe movie recently and wasnt that impressed because I think much of the biography was faked.

1 Reply

I enjoyed "Frida" with Salma Hayak. I don't know how accurate it is but visually, it's marvelous.

2 Replies

@farmerman,

Also we have the Oscar winning documentary Maya Lin: A Strong Clear Vision (1994) http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0110480/.

And one of my favorite documentaries of all time is a biography doc on Louis Kahn, My Architect. A documentary directed by the architect's son, Nathaniel Kahn.

2 Replies

@eoe,

yep, I loved the fat guy who played Riviera. He was a real slug.

1 Reply

@tsarstepan,

Thanks, It is now on my list. Havent seen it

0 Replies

@farmerman,

Alfred Molina. He plays that role well.

0 Replies

@tsarstepan,

Quote:

And one of my favorite documentaries of all time is a biography doc on Louis Kahn, My Architect. A documentary directed by the architect's son, Nathaniel Kahn.

Saw that recently......stunning and very moving.

1 Reply

@eoe,

eoe wrote:

I enjoyed "Frida" with Salma Hayak. I don't know how accurate it is but visually, it's marvelous.

Sure is.

0 Replies

@dlowan,

Ive seen that doc as a presentation and discussion session that our library puts on during the winter. We do these as a "dinner and a movie" thing twice a month from Nov to March each year. Since Louis Kahn was located in Philadelphia, he was accepted with all his quirks and weirdness.
I especially liked the search for the train station attendant that found Louis Kahns Body when he was found dead after finishing his BAngladesh government HQ project in Dakkah.

1 Reply

@farmerman,

Did anyone ever see the documentary (semi) based on the work and klife of Mark Rothko?.
Itwas pretty much a detailing of his Four Seasons commission.

1 Reply

@farmerman,

There was a movie on the Life of Leonardo da Vinci. and I cant seem to google it up.

1 Reply

@farmerman,

http://www.amazon.com/Life-Leonardo-Vinci-3pc-VHS/dp/6303400396

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/2192SVTN0DL._SL500_AA300_.jpg

http://www.amazon.com/Biography-Leonardo-Vinci-Renaissance-Master/dp/B000006QI0

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/5118CHAA6SL._SS500_.jpg

0 Replies

saw this film many years ago at an art house cinema, and quite enjoyed it
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edvard_Munch_(film)

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/c/c7/EdvardMunch.jpg

also really enjoyed a movie about poet Stevie Smith
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stevie_(play)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0078321/

0 Replies

@farmerman,

An old favorite movie, Song without End, 1960, has a positive review here:
http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9B03E6D6163CEF3ABC4A52DFBE66838B679EDE
It's the story of Franz Liszt - played by Dirk Bogarde. I remember it even then as rather corny, and yet I saw it several times, for the music, and plus, I like Bogarde. The piano segments are done by Jorge Bolet, a liszt specialist.

1 Reply

MOVIES ABOUT THE LIVES OF ARTISTS

Related Topics

Quick Links

My Account

able2know