| Van Gogh | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Maurice Pialat |
| Written by | Maurice Pialat |
| Produced by |
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| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Gilles Henry Emmanuel Machuel |
| Edited by |
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Production companies |
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| Distributed by | Gaumont Distribution |
Release date |
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Running time | 158 minutes |
| Country | France |
| Language | French |
| Box office | $513[1] |
Van Gogh is a 1991 Frenchbiographicaldrama film written, produced and directed byMaurice Pialat. It starsJacques Dutronc in the role of Dutch painterVincent van Gogh, for which he won the 1992César Award for Best Actor. Set in 1890, the film follows the last 67 days of Van Gogh's life and explores his relationships with his brotherTheo, his physicianPaul Gachet (most famous as the subject of Van Gogh's paintingPortrait of Dr. Gachet), and the women in his life, including Gachet's daughter, Marguerite.
The film was entered into the1991 Cannes Film Festival,[2] and selected as the French entry for theBest Foreign Language Film at the64th Academy Awards, but was not accepted as a nominee.[3]
Jean-Luc Godard praised the film in a letter to Pialat, in which he wrote: "My dear Maurice, your film is astonishing, totally astonishing; far beyond the cinematic horizon covered up until now by our wretched gaze."[4]
The film is noted for its anti-melodramatic[5] and unsensationalistic[6] approach to Van Gogh's life. For this reason it is often contrasted withVincente Minnelli's Van Gogh filmLust for Life.[5] Very little time is devoted to Van Gogh's art and work, with the bulk of the 158-minute running time occupied by the artist's often difficult personal relationships and declining mental state. The film omits most references to many of the most famous incidents in Van Gogh's life (including his attempt to cut off his ear in 1888) in favor of concentrating on the social dynamics of the late 19th century.
Writing inThe Washington Post, criticDesson Howe explains: "In the movie, you don't see Van Gogh (Jacques Dutronc) complete the final brush stroke of a masterpiece, then call up oldGauguin for a celebratoryabsinthe. You do see a thin, stringy man, suffering from headaches, enjoying whores and moping around irascibly.Van Gogh denies you familiar highlights, keeps you from his working elbow and avoids the Ear Thing. But it shows you the quotidian stuff in between. This is the story of an artist being human, carrying canvases out or lugging them back in – their famous images intentionally out of sight."[7]
Van Gogh has an approval rating of 77% onreview aggregator websiteRotten Tomatoes, based on 13 reviews, and an average rating of 7.2/10.[8]