I’ll
start by admitting that, most likely, Tony Curran on Doctor Who will always be the quintessential Vincent van Gogh for
me; it’s been nine years (goodness gracious,) and “Vincent and the Doctor” still makes me cry. Also, watching this film, and Willem Dafoe in
it, I never really shook the thought at the back of my head, “They realize he
was 37 when he died, right?” But despite
these caveats, it really is a lovely film that makes some interesting artistic
choices.
Tired of
the “gray light” of Paris, Vincent van Gogh flees the city and seeks retreat in
Arles in the south of France, where he sets up shop in the “Yellow House” for
the period in which he’ll create his greatest works. Painting from nature but always as he sees it,
Vincent struggles with a world that’s perplexed by his paintings and townsfolk
who are frightened by his unpredictable outbursts. As he moves in and out of hospitals, he
continues to paint because there’s nothing else he can do.
Any movie
about Vincent van Gogh has to pay special attention to its visuals and this one
is no exception. All the outdoor scenes
in Arles have beautifully-vivid contrasting colors, Vincent in his blue coat
and straw hat set against the bold greens and yellows of the forests and fields. The sunlight deserves its own costarring
credit in this film. A number of scenes
take dramatic perspectives, taking us into Vincent’s gaze at extreme angles
with the light dazzling above us and a haze of emotion smearing the lower half
of the frame. And in one scene, just
after Paul Gauguin has scolded Vincent for working too fast and “overpainting”
his canvas, we switch to black-and-white and see the shape of Vincent’s
painting purely in the texture of his heavy strokes.
Besides
these stylistic touches, there are some other neat things going on in the
movie, interesting ruminations and touching scenes of emotion. I really like the scenes showing Vincent’s
relationship with his brother, and his fateful visit from Gauguin is portrayed
well (even though those scenes get disheartening to watch.) That said, it also gets pretty slow in
places, and after the fourth or fifth extended scene of Vincent walking through
the forest with his easel on his back while tinkly piano music plays in the
background, it starts to feel indulgent here and there.
We’re
here today because of Dafoe’s Leading Actor nomination, and while I never did
lose sight of the fact that he’s more than 25
years older than the character he’s playing, it’s still a very effective, affecting
performance. It’s a subdued portrayal,
leaning quite a bit into the blank, empty aspect of depression, but Dafoe captures
Vincent’s vigor in quiet ways as well, like the spellbound look on his face
when he happens upon an impressive vista.
The film also features Oscar Isaac as Gauguin, as well as brief
appearances from Mads Mikkelsen (Hannibal!) and Mathieu Amalric, who I remember
from The Diving Bell and the Butterfly.
Warnings
Strong
thematic elements, brief depictions of violence, and drinking/smoking.
nice movies
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