"Lust for Life"
Ralph Benner
Minnelli's most wired movie is probably "Lust for Life." Its intensity is true
to Vincent van Gogh's chronic madness, as is Kirk Douglas's portrayal. Even
without Miklós Rózsa's equally agitated score, the movie embraces the temper of
the artist's seizures -- his flares of excitability, of inspiration, his fits
of emotions and rage. Purists regard Tim Roth's van Gogh in Altman's "Vincent &
Theo" as close to definitive; Douglas of course doesn't have the painter's
delicacy, because he's always been this chunk of melodramatic weight, and thus
van Gogh's fragility gets displaced. But Douglas is saved by his own tremendous
desire to do right and by Minnelli's concept -- using van Gogh's paintings with
integral as well as augmentative intent. In this, "Lust for Life" may be the
only picture that more than benefits by letterboxing -- it becomes an instantly
framed movie museum. When the masterpieces come into view -- interspersed
chronologically and thematically -- they serve not only the purpose of
appreciation but also provide a double visual history. Minnelli, art directors
Cedric Gibbons, Hans Peters, Preston Ames, set decorators Edwin B. Willis and
F. Keogh Gleason, photographers Freddie Young and Russell Harlan put together
an ambient feast of period and settings. Van Gogh's work was progressively
reflective of his dementia; by the time he started doing his landscapes, every
stroke of the brush was a warning of what was to come. The movie would be much
better without Rózsa's frenzy; it would be more powerful had Minnelli given the
audience the punch that makes the story an even greater tragedy: brother Theo,
played by James Donald, died six months after Vincent. With Anthony Quinn, who
won an Oscar for his Gauguin.
Oldies But Goodies at: http://users.aol.com/NowReViewing/Index.html
Andy Averill
"Ralph Benner" <nowrev...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:20010606062957...@ng-mc1.aol.com...
Saw it the other night. It is a good looking film. The real Van Goghs that
they got permission to photograph look terrific, but the fake ones aren't
very convincing. The script is a bit cliché ridden, but it's one of
Douglas's best performances. I still prefer Vincent & Theo.
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Lenona321
that made me cry at the end.
They showed a documentary on the making of LFL on TCM this evening - "From
Darkness into Light"(?) In it, Kirk talks with an old woman who knew Van Gogh.
Lenona.
Andy Averill
"Lenona321" <leno...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:20010606202154...@ng-mr1.aol.com...
Weren't you impressed that he spoke such good French? Maybe there are
literate movie stars?
paul packer
wrote:
The movie would be much
>better without Rózsa's frenzy;
Hmmm. I liked you until you said that.
Sidney Falco
>They showed a documentary on the making of LFL on TCM this evening -
"From Darkness into Light"(?) In it, Kirk talks with an old woman who
knew Van Gogh. <
A woman who had known Van Gogh when she was a young girl -- supposedly,
she actually SOLD HIM PAINT -- only died about 10-15 years ago.
"I don't mind lying, but I hate inaccuracy." -- Samuel Butler
Stephen Cooke
On Fri, 8 Jun 2001, Sidney Falco wrote:
>
> >They showed a documentary on the making of LFL on TCM this evening -
> "From Darkness into Light"(?) In it, Kirk talks with an old woman who
> knew Van Gogh. <
>
> A woman who had known Van Gogh when she was a young girl -- supposedly,
> she actually SOLD HIM PAINT -- only died about 10-15 years ago.
Jeanne Calment, who died at age 122 only about five years ago, was the
daughter of a canvas merchant who sold to Van Gogh. She did in fact meet
Van Gogh as a little girl, and remembered him as being somewhat
ill-tempered and smelly.
Today he'd probably front a punk band...
Stephen
Steve Oldham
(Sidney Falco) wrote:
>
>>They showed a documentary on the making of LFL on TCM this evening -
>"From Darkness into Light"(?) In it, Kirk talks with an old woman who
>knew Van Gogh. <
>
>A woman who had known Van Gogh when she was a young girl -- supposedly,
>she actually SOLD HIM PAINT -- only died about 10-15 years ago.
>
>
Her name was Clement as I recall and remembered him as a weird little
man.
Steve
Lenona321
>Hurt,
>> that made me cry at the end.
>>
>> They showed a documentary on the making of LFL on TCM this evening - "From
>> Darkness into Light"(?) In it, Kirk talks with an old woman who knew Van
>Gogh.
>
>Weren't you impressed that he spoke such good French? Maybe there are
>literate movie stars?
>
was born into. What every celebrity needs to remember, of course, is Aesop's
words - "Stretch your arm no further than your sleeve will reach". In other
words, if you play shallow characters in movies but in real life you're a Mensa
member, you have to keep quiet about it until someone asks you. I remember Spy
magazine doing a feature called "If I Only Had a Brain" about actors and
singers who keep wearing glasses and carrying around heavy books for the
photographers to see in their desperation to be taken seriously. Very amusing.
Lenona.
Wull
All my life anyone who ever spoke of Vincent called him Van Go
When we were in Paris at the Louvre they call him Van gog
Wull
Andy Averill
I missed that -- must have been an early issue. MM is the most famous one,
of course. Who else was on the list?
Andy Averill
"Wull" <wjma...@datarecall.net> wrote in message
news:3B23EFD8...@datarecall.net...
> A little info for Americans only.
>
> All my life anyone who ever spoke of Vincent called him Van Go
> When we were in Paris at the Louvre they call him Van gog
Even gog is not quite right apparently -- you have to make a sound like
clearing your throat.