Lust for Life

Starring: Kirk Douglas, Anthony Quinn, James Donald, Pamela Brown, Everett Sloane
Directed by: Vincente Minnelli
Rating: Approved
Genre: Drama
1956

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: Follows the life of painter Vincent Van Gogh through his struggles and his genius displayed in his work.

Review:

Tim: I was pretty excited to sit down and watch Lust for Life. I'm a huge Vincent Van Gogh fan- I've visited the museum in Amsterdam and have sought out his paintings wherever I can find them. I'm mesmerized by his talent, have read books about his life, and was anticipating this film. Vincente Minnelli directs an entertaining, effective movie that examines the life of one of the greatest painters the world has ever known. Van Gogh is your archetypal tortured artist and it was fascinating to watch this story of genius and madness.

I have to give Kirk Douglas a ton of credit for playing this role so well. I was recently harsh and disappointed in Douglas for his performance in Spartacus (I really think it's vastly overrated). However, that wasn't the case here. He gives a strong performance- at times, he's fragile, at times, relentless. He embodies the drive that Van Gogh had and it's believable as he flirts with madness. It's a performance that feels like it channels the essence of Van Gogh (even if he never outright captures it). Douglas even looks the part, and I enjoyed the focus on making him resemble the famous painter. Douglas definitely deserves credit for bringing this character to life.

You also have to give Anthony Quinn credit for the energetic, forceful supporting performance of Paul Gauguin. Quinn brings a totally different persona and energy to the mix and it was fun seeing him playing opposite Douglas. Quinn is certainly a force on screen and he makes a lasting impression. As much as I enjoyed Quinn and his performance here, I was a bit surprised he won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, the film's only win (it did receive nominations for Best Actor- Douglas, as well as Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Art Direction-Set Direction, color). Quinn ends up with a bit over 20 minutes of screen time, and while he's undoubtedly good and his scenes are among the best in the film, I was still surprised he won. It felt like he didn't make THAT big of an impact on the final movie. This is a movie very much focused on Van Gogh. I did think James Donald gave a good supporting performance as well.

The story is good- it feels like your typical biopic. We learn more about Van Gogh and see the ups and downs of his life unfold. His story is such a tragic one- I always think about the stunning, surreal, beautiful art he was able to create, while struggling with a series of mental issues. His way of looking at the world and at art was unique and that is apparent when you look at his paintings. I thought the movie did a decent job of showcasing all that. Van Gogh didn't have an easy time and it was entertaining to watch that and consider how it influenced his art. I also enjoyed the scenes where Van Gogh's paintings were shown. I haven't seen this approach often, but it felt worthwhile here. It might disrupt the flow of the narrative a bit, but it was wonderful to see the actual works he produced at various points in the film.

As much as I enjoyed the movie and would certainly recommend it, it doesn't feel like it quite ranks up there with the best biopics. It feels like the movie explores Van Gogh's life and highlights specific aspects of it, but I don't know if I left the movie with a deep understanding of him as a character. The movie almost gets there, but it never quite digs deeply enough. When the film comes to its conclusion, it feels a bit too much like reading a historical book, rather than like we lived alongside Van Gogh. You kind of nod your head like, "Ah, that's what happened", instead of feeling any kind of emotional punch. That's what it would have taken for this movie to move into greatness.

Still, Lust for Life is a really effective movie (even if the title is kind of terrible). It features several good performances and it tells the story of my favorite painter and one of the most gifted artists the world has ever known. This is a movie that's worth searching out.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7.5



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