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44 of 45 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
For Van Gogh junkies...., December 9, 2000
I am happy VINCENT AND THEO has finally been released in some form, though I wish it had been a DVD. This is--bar none--the best film ever made about the life of Vincent van Gogh.As as Van Gogh junkie, I've taken no less than three college level courses on the man and his art, read many books about him, viewed every available film made about his life, visited the sites where he painted in Europe, and viewed his paintings in museums all over the world including the fabulous collection at the Van Gogh museum in Amsterdam -- once in 1990 when the museum hosted a retrospective of his art on the 100 year anniversary of his death. I am more or less a Tim Roth fan and have seen most of his films. Tim Roth has captured Van Gogh, the man and the artist. Paul Rhys (Gallowglass-PBS Mystery) has captured Paul Van Gogh, and the fabulous Dutch actress Johanna Ter Stege (Frau Beethoven in Immortal Beloved) has captured Paul's faithful wife. What if Vincent had succeeded as a minister in the Dutch Reformed Church? What if his sensitivity to the suffering around him had fed his depression until he decided to end it all before he began to paint. What if Paul had not provided financial support to his apparently failed artist brother. What if Paul Van Gogh and his wife had discarded Vincent's paintings when he died (only about 3 were sold in Vincent's life time). What if Mrs. Paul Van Gogh had tossed out Vincnet's paintings when Paul died shortly after Vincent. What if!! But Mrs Van Gogh saved the paintings, and Paul's family gave the paintings to the Netherlands some years later. The vast majority of Vincent's paintings, as well as the Van Gogh brothers complete collection of the Hiroshege print series depicting the pilgrim's way to the sacred city of Edo, reside in the TWO Van Gogh museums in the Netherlands. Yes, there are two museums--Vincent painted at the rate of several paintings a day in his final three years in the south of France. There are six sunflower paintings (but only one 'Roses' given to the National Gallery in Washington DC. by Mrs. Harriman). Van Gogh's art was inspired by the newly developed art of photography, as well as the West's discovery of Japanese prints in the 19th Century. The fabulous cinematography of VINCENT AND THEO reflects this "print" perspective--cropped action with connections outside the frame. Many of the camera shots in VINCENT AND THEO are faithful recreatations of Vincent's paintings. First we see the "natural" shot. Then we see the actual painting Vincent was insprired to create. For example, the room at Arles is captured in all it's Yellow, Blue, and Red simplicity. Then we see one of the painting(s) of Vincent's Room. In other shots, plum blossoms float on the air, crows fly overhead while the reaper sows his seeds, and sunflowers rustle in the breeze--fields and fields of sunflowers. See this film. Buy this film. This is a beautiful film.
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38 of 40 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Intimate portrait of Vincent Van Gogh & his brother, April 6, 2002
"Vincent and Theo" is an atypical film for Robert Altman - no repartee, no overlapping dialog, almost no humor, little overt social commentary. But who better than this fiercely independent and creative director to paint a cinematic portrait of the intense, complex relationship between the wildly creative and eccentric 19th Century artist, Vincent Van Gogh, and his brother, Theo? The movie covers only the last years of their short, extraordinary lives, but these are among the most important historically because Vincent produced so many masterpieces during them. I assume the screenplay is based on the many letters the brothers sent to each other. Considering the chaos that filled their lives, it is almost miraculous that Vincent's works survived, not to mention the letters. Vincent and Theo certainly didn't survive the chaos. Tim Roth and Paul Rhys are brilliant as, respectively, Vincent and Theo. Ordinarily, it might be irritating to have two main characters with so many tics and odd physical mannerisms, but the idea works here because it cements the illusion that the two are brothers in every way. Vincent may have the artistic genius, but in every other way, they are cut from the same mold. The photography is stunning, especially in the sections where we see the scenery colored much the way Vincent might have seen it. The locales are well chosen, and the sets and costumes look appropriately late 19th Century European. One of the advantages of modern cinema's freedoms is that it can show historic figures with warts and all, and Altman takes full advantage of this. Vincent is scrawny and has rotten teeth, while Theo is obviously syphilitic. Not to disparage biographical movies of fifty years ago, such as the 1956 film about Van Gogh, "Lust for Life" with Kirk Douglas, but I find these modern visions much more truthful and accessible. Somehow, by humanizing such people, their genius seems somehow more amazing and profound. This is one of Altman's more difficult movies, but it is also one of the most rewarding. If there is a social message to it, it must be this: As a society, we have forgotten or dismissed the idea that artistic geniuses are, more often than not, not blessed with certain important social skills. This is a primary reason why they must and should be supported, just as Theo selflessly provided emotionally and financially for his tormented, graceless brother who sold just one painting in his lifetime. Theo was reputedly the buyer.
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19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
The best Van Gogh film bio available., February 28, 1999
By A Customer
While many film enthusiasts may consider it blasphemy, I would argue that Robert Altman's "Vincent and Theo" is a far superior film to Vincente Minnelli's 1956 classic "Lust for Life". Credit is due to Altman, of course, but mainly due to the absolutely perfect performance by Tim Roth. Roth is a wonder--he truly brings Vincent van Gogh to life. Again, many consider Kirk Douglas's Van Gogh to be the standard, but I honestly feel that Roth's performance exceeds Douglas's in every respect.Van Gogh wasn't first and foremost a crazed ear-slasher, but rather a man of great passion and depth. Roth captures this beautifully. The other characters in the film do an excellent job as well (particularly actress Johanna Ter Steege who plays Theo's wife, Jo). Apparently there's a six hour version of this film that's only ever been available in Europe. This reminds me of my only criticism of the movie--that two hours just isn't enough time to properly capture the rich tapestry of Van Gogh's life and art.
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