Loving Vincent
This past weekend I saw Loving Vincent and I thought I would share my thoughts on the film in this post. If you want to avoid spoilers, look no further!
I have always loved Vincent Van Gogh's artwork. Post-Impressionism was always a style I liked, a style that has had an influence on my own style of painting. I went into the movie knowing only 1 amazing thing: that the entire movie was animated in oil paintings. I honestly have never known too much about Vincent's life other than he only sold one painting while he was alive and that it was to his brother. I grew up assuming Vincent was bipolar and he committed suicide in the end. I thought he cut off his ear and mailed it to his girlfriend. I knew he was a weird person probably, and was sick, he was in a mental hospital off and on, but one thing that has always made me think was that Vincent Van Gogh died less than 130 years ago. My great great grandparents were alive when he was alive. His art at the time went unnoticed by so many people because he and his art did not quite fit in.
But did Vincent actually kill himself? That is what the film investigates in the quiet and thought-provoking journey of the son of the postman who delivered Vincent's letters to his brother. The film takes place after his death and the postman wanted a letter that was never delivered to be in the hands of the rightful receiver, who ended up being dead also (Vicent's brother). The film was based on history, but was also imaginative in its dialogue between the postman's son and the people he gets to know.
I usually hate ambiguous endings, but this one I was satisfied with. The main character decided to believe that Vicent did not kill himself because of his findings, but it is still very possible that he did. More importantly, the message that came through was not that Vincent was a tormented wonderful artist, or a crazy fool of one, but that he loved painting, he loved his art. He tried to be a number of things before he picked up a paintbrush and when he did he finally found something that gave him a divine delight.
Mental illness doesn't create art. The last six weeks of his life, Vincent was happy, according to everyone the postman's son talked to. Vincent was loved, and he loved back. I always create my best art when I am happy. I don't make art when I am dwelling in a pit of despair. There is pain in art, but only in gaining the strength of getting through it.
The other wonderful aspect of the movie that I loved was noticing the different scenes and characters that Vincent had painted - it was easy to recognize certain paintings and magical to watch them come to life. There was a strangeness too it, because some of it was hyperrealistic tied with the post-impressionistic style, but overall, I enjoyed it. The flashbacks being more like an old black and white movie was interesting and well done, although it was slightly offputting because of its realism. It didn't feel connected to the present, which I suppose was the point, but the black and white did enough, I think they could have kept it more stylistic.
If you have seen it, let me know what you thought! It certainly made me think, but I also feel inspired. I want to paint right now, but I gotta sleep!
If you haven't seen it, I highly recommend. It is whimsical in a wonderous surreal dream-like way.
I have always loved Vincent Van Gogh's artwork. Post-Impressionism was always a style I liked, a style that has had an influence on my own style of painting. I went into the movie knowing only 1 amazing thing: that the entire movie was animated in oil paintings. I honestly have never known too much about Vincent's life other than he only sold one painting while he was alive and that it was to his brother. I grew up assuming Vincent was bipolar and he committed suicide in the end. I thought he cut off his ear and mailed it to his girlfriend. I knew he was a weird person probably, and was sick, he was in a mental hospital off and on, but one thing that has always made me think was that Vincent Van Gogh died less than 130 years ago. My great great grandparents were alive when he was alive. His art at the time went unnoticed by so many people because he and his art did not quite fit in.
But did Vincent actually kill himself? That is what the film investigates in the quiet and thought-provoking journey of the son of the postman who delivered Vincent's letters to his brother. The film takes place after his death and the postman wanted a letter that was never delivered to be in the hands of the rightful receiver, who ended up being dead also (Vicent's brother). The film was based on history, but was also imaginative in its dialogue between the postman's son and the people he gets to know.
I usually hate ambiguous endings, but this one I was satisfied with. The main character decided to believe that Vicent did not kill himself because of his findings, but it is still very possible that he did. More importantly, the message that came through was not that Vincent was a tormented wonderful artist, or a crazy fool of one, but that he loved painting, he loved his art. He tried to be a number of things before he picked up a paintbrush and when he did he finally found something that gave him a divine delight.Mental illness doesn't create art. The last six weeks of his life, Vincent was happy, according to everyone the postman's son talked to. Vincent was loved, and he loved back. I always create my best art when I am happy. I don't make art when I am dwelling in a pit of despair. There is pain in art, but only in gaining the strength of getting through it.
The other wonderful aspect of the movie that I loved was noticing the different scenes and characters that Vincent had painted - it was easy to recognize certain paintings and magical to watch them come to life. There was a strangeness too it, because some of it was hyperrealistic tied with the post-impressionistic style, but overall, I enjoyed it. The flashbacks being more like an old black and white movie was interesting and well done, although it was slightly offputting because of its realism. It didn't feel connected to the present, which I suppose was the point, but the black and white did enough, I think they could have kept it more stylistic.
If you have seen it, let me know what you thought! It certainly made me think, but I also feel inspired. I want to paint right now, but I gotta sleep!
If you haven't seen it, I highly recommend. It is whimsical in a wonderous surreal dream-like way.
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