By Bhavya Balamurali
Whether you are a film lover, art lover or simply curious about the larger than life personalities, these films offer a glimpse into the lives and minds of history’s most iconic creators. These are some of the greatest films made, that bring the agony, ecstasy and obsession of the art world to life on screen.
Loving Vincent (2017)
Image Credit: Loving Vincent via Pinterest
‘Loving Vincent’ stands out as one of cinema’s most visually daring achievements. With over 65,000 hand-painted oil frames, created by over 120 artists, each frame moves with the pulse of Vincent van Gogh’s brushstrokes.
Directed by Dorota Kobiela and Hugh Welchman, the film seamlessly marries Biography with mystery, as a young man retraces Vincent’s last steps, unearthing the intimate, conflicting memories the artist left behind. The film successfully captures the ache of human connections, loss and misunderstanding, and becomes a mediation on how memory, grief and art preserve those we love. Loving Vincent feels like a fragment of Van Gogh’s soul, making the cinematic experience as intimate as it is monumental.
Big Eyes (2014)
Image Credit: Amy Adams as Margaret Keane in Big Eye
Tim Burton‘s fascinating biopic, ‘Big Eyes’ tells the unbelievable true story of Margaret Keane who actually drew the 1960’s famous big-eyed waif paintings.
Amy Admas delivers a powerful performance as an artist navigating fame, fear and a controlling marriage. The film shows how Walter Keane, played by Christoph Waltz, became a household name by charming the press and taking credits for the wide-eyed, melancholy children painting he didn’t even touch, by signing his name on her work. The lie unravelled after years of control and manipulation, when Margaret exposed the truth and challenged Walter to a courtroom paint-off. ‘Big eye’ is a wild, bittersweet reminder that sometimes the art world is not as dreamy as it seems.
Frida (2002)
Image Credit: Salma Hayek as Frida Kahlo in Frida via Pinterest
‘Frida’ is a visceral, unapologetic portrait of Frida Kahlo by the visionary Julie Taymor. Based on Hayden Herrera’s biography, the film charts Kahlo’s tumultuous life. Dragging you headfirst into her fever-dream world, from her near-fatal bus accident to her stormy marriage with muralist Diego Rivera and her unapologetic embrace of politics, sexuality and rebellion. Taymor weaves Kahlo’s surrealist and dream-like canvas into the very fabric of the storytelling, with Salma Hayek giving a soul-baring portrayal as the iconic Mexican painter.
At its heart Frida is about refusing to be broken by pain, patriarchy or politics, celebrating a woman who never made any apologies for living and loving on her own terms.
Surviving Picasso (1996)
Image Credit: Anthony Hopkins as Picasso and Julianne Moore as Dora Maar via Pinterest
Ever wondered what it’s like to fall in love with a genius? In ‘Surviving Picasso’ by James Ivory, Anthony Hopkins slips into the skin of the legendary, larger than life artist Pablo Picasso, where genius meets obsession in the intoxicating world of 1940’s Paris. Natascha McElhone plays Françoise Gilot, the fearless young painter who gets caught in his chaotic orbit. The film follows Françoise’s story, as she becomes both the muse and prisoner to Picasso’s unpredictable moods and relentless control. But this isn’t just a tale of a woman lost in a man’s shadow, but an artist who witnessed firsthand casualties of Picasso’s ego, including his discarded lovers and estranged family.
A heady mix of art, amour and rebellion, the film paints Picasso not as a hero, but a deeply flawed genius.
Pollock (2000)
Image Credit: Ed Harris as Jackson Pollock via Pinterest
‘Pollock’ is a bruised, unvarnished portrait of a man who would only find peace with a brush in his hands. If you think being a tortured artist sounds romantic, this movie will set you straight.
Ed Harris steps into the shoes of Jackson Pollock, the brilliant and self destructive father of Abstract Expression who was a genius gripped by madness. The film follows his rise from a struggling nobody in Greenwich Village to the volatile star of America’s postwar art scene and his stormy relationship with Lee Krasmer played by Marcia Gay Harden at its core. Watch Harris as Pollock wields his signature drip technique like a man possessed. More than a biopic, the film directed by Ed Harris himself, captures the raw, messy grind of making life and a man both freed and destroyed by his talent.
Lust For Life (1956)
Image Credit: Kirk Douglas as Vincent van Gogh via Pinterest
Vincente Minnelli dives into the stormy, passionate life of Vincent van Gogh and his relentless search for beauty in a world that never embraced him through ‘Lust for Life’.
Following Van Gogh’s journey from his early struggles in Holland to the vivid landscape of France, Kirk Douglas delivers a performance driven by a man consumed by his need to paint what he feels, not what he sees. The film delves into his complex bond with his supportive brother Theo and the volatile friendship with Paul Gaugin and what makes the film special is Minnelli’s direction, which turns landscape and colour into characters of their own, mirroring Vincent’s shifting world. The film does not romanticise the artist’s suffering, rather offers a raw, empathetic look at the bittersweet tragedy of a man whose work would outlive him by centuries.
Klimt (2006)
Image Credit: John Malkovich as Gustav Klimt via Pinterest
Offering an unconventionally striking look at the life of Australian painter Gustav Klimt, Raúl Ruiz‘s ‘Klimt’ offers an unconventional angle to the artist’s life.
Gustav Klimt, whose work was definitive of the Art Nouveau movement, was famed for his sensual, shimmering portrait and scandalous reputation. Told through hazy memory, as Klimt lies on his deathbed, the film chooses a fragmented, dreamlike narrative that reflects the artist’s own complex world rather than a straightforward biography. Set against the backdrop of fin-de-siècle Vienna, John Malkovich steps into the shoes of Klimt, who was both revered and resented in his time. Ruiz’s shifting perspectives, experimental camera work and symbolic imagery and surreal interludes makes you feel as if you are stepping inside Klimt’s own gilded canvas. Klimt is an intriguing and thoughtful watch, for those who like their biopics strange and intoxicating.
The Agony and the Ecstasy (1965)
Image Credit: Charlton Heston as Michelangelo via pinterest
‘The Agony and the Ecstasy’ by Carol Reed, manages to capture the feverish showdown between artistic obsession and papal authority.
The film is a ticket to Renaissance drama at its finest, with Charlton Heston playing Michelangelo and Rex Harrison as Pope Julius II. Turning the painting of the Sistine chapel ceiling into an all-out battle of wills, The Agony and the Ecstasy is not a dusty historical biopic, but rather the story about stubborn genius, creative tantrum and impossible deadline, and the glorious mess of making art that actually lasts. The film feels timeless and pays meticulous attention to the grand renaissance setting and would resonate with every artist as it would reflect upon how the act of creation is as much a torment as it is a triumph.
These films prove that behind every legendary painting lies an extraordinary story that is wildly human. So the next time you’re in the mood for something bold, these biopics are the perfect watch.
