FOR ARTISTS


Goya's Ghosts
I bought this movie because I hoped to learn more about one of Spain’s most revered artists.  Francisco de Goya, (1746-1828) is considered the “Father of Modern Art” and knowing nothing about the movie. I read several reviews, most of them glowing.  In reality, the movie, starring Stellan Skarsgard as Francisco de Goya, Javier Bardem as Father Lorenzo and Natalie Portman as Inez was a mishmash of confusion and arcane scenes depicting the atrocities of the Spanish Inquisition.  The movie is more about Father Lorenzo’s fall from grace and eventual death rather than the creation of the masterworks of Francisco Goya.  For the better part of the movie Skarsgard wanders about with mouth agape and looking confused – even before he became deaf.  The movie could not be more abstract and without purpose than if it had been directed by David Lynch instead of Milos Forman.  ‘Goya’s Ghosts’ were macabre etchings know as “The Caprichos”  which he created in the year 1792. They were subtitled “the sleep of reason produces monsters”.  They are disturbing scenes of the extreme torture perpetrated by the Roman Catholic Church.  We see one of his paintings destroyed (set afire) by Napoleon’s French invaders, but nothing of the creation of his lasting gifts to the world – his art.

  

MOVIE OF THE MONTH 
There are a plethora of movies about artists on the market. Some are biographical, some are fictionalized to the extent that there is no resemblance to the real-life artist. Still, a lot of them are worth watching if only for their entertainment value.
Listed below (in no particular order) are reviews of a few movies I found worth watching. All these movies are available at Amazon.com as well as on Ebay and other movie sites.
The list is lengthy so I will list them as Movie of the month and hopefully readers will have a chance to read them and comment- let me know if you like these movies too- or not- either way..




Lust For Life (1956) Based on an Irving Stone novel, Kirk Douglas, in a deservedly Oscar nominated
performance, is physically and emotionally perfect as the tormented Dutch painter, Vincent van Gogh. The film
centers on van Gogh‟s stormy friendship with fellow artist, Paul Gauguin. Mere passion seems inadequate
when describing this fictionalized biography of van Gogh. The artist‟s lust for life also fed his madness and this
film deeply understands the fine line in between. Definitely worth watching.