Customer Reviews

Picasso: Portrait of An Artist [VHS]

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It is wonderful to have Picasso on DVD and to be able to have still pictures of Picasso, I find this DVD too much abstract and isolated from the historic period of world wars, and the fascist movement and all the terrible things it caused many people to do loosing any sign of humanity.
You can get the impression that this DVD deals only with Bullfight also I'm convinced that Picasso was artistic deep inspired by it. Picasso was socially involved and all the great artists who create in this period felt their obligation to remember and to avoid this kind of actions. When someone is doing a documentary film on a twenty century artist I'm looking for the personal touch and to know the artist personally and not to feel being in a sterile laboratory. I didn't like the flow of this DVD it seem to me very fragmentary and suffering from lack of modesty, but still I recommend to purchase this DVD
and to remember that this is just a part of the whole picture.

This is the first video (or item period) I ever saw on Pablo Picasso, and really the first thing I saw that made me want to become a painter myself. (I was previously an illustrator/graphic designer) In short, It shows the great variety of Picasso's works from his very early to late years, and the different periods. The music and sound-effects throughout are also very nicely done (still all stuck in my head!) and definitely add to the atmosphere of all the various works being shown (In comparison to a lot of other 'older art videos' (from the 1980's usually)..this one is one of the few I found a little unique and well-done in it's direction. (Many of them are notoriously dull I have to admit)
It does have a few 'lower' points though.. The narrative for instance, though interesting, is full of many of the most infamous (& mostly untrue) myths around Picasso's life. Not a big deal overall though.. (reading Richardson's books clears up most of these) And it may not be for the more 'faint of heart' or 'animal-sensitive' among us either.. as there's a number of rather bloody bullfight scenes interspersed throughout. (I'm not fond of bullfights myself persay.. although I think I actually got used to watching them from seeing this video a number of times (lol) (terrible, I know..)
Overall, I'd definitely say this is worth a look, or even a 'buy' If your a big enough fan of art or Picasso in-particular. But be sure to follow it up with 'Picasso: Magic Sex Death' by John Richardson for a more thorough review on Picasso's life and works.