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Camille Claudel (1988)
Camille ClaudelThis is a film directed by Bruno Nuytten, telling the story of the 19th-century sculptor Camille Claudel. The film is based on the book by Reine-Marie Paris, granddaughter of the poet, writer, and diplomat Paul Claudel (Camille's brother). The role of Camille Claudel is played by one of France's most famous contemporary actresses, Isabelle Adjani. The film won 5 Cesar Awards out of 12 nominations, representing France in the Best Foreign Language Film category at the Oscars, and also received an Oscar nomination for Isabelle Adjani.
Born and raised in the small village of Villeneuve-sur-Fère in France, young Camille discovered the magic of clay at an early age. At 18, she began studying with a renowned sculptor in Paris: Auguste Rodin. Rodin, then 42, was living with Rose Beuret and had a child two years younger than Camille. Their encounter swept the two talented artists into a whirlwind of intense, clandestine love. Camille's hand left its mark on many of his works during this period. She was a devoted student, a talented colleague, an ideal and beautiful model, and a passionate lover.
Public opinion scorned their illicit relationship, gossiping about her works, claiming they were the creations of her teacher. Disgusted and ostracized by her mother and family, and constantly facing Rodin's former lover, Camille became unstable after becoming pregnant and having an abortion. In 1893, after officially separating from her lover, she secluded herself in her house, which also served as her sculpture studio, while Rodin's fortunes soared with world-class commissions.
During this period, she established herself with numerous works, executed in various versions using different materials: plaster, marble, bronze, and she did not hesitate to use rare materials like marble to differentiate herself from Rodin. Each work is modern, lovely, bold, powerful, and authentic, subtly expressing human beauty, youth, passion, devotion, suffering, struggle, and resistance for love and happiness. Her delicate sensitivity in detail research and her style of expressing inner conflict caused a stir among critics.
Despite their distance, Rodin maintained his practical support for his lover. He discreetly wrote to the Ministry of Industry requesting the supply of marble materials for her, and constantly introduced her to renowned critics. However, while critics admired her sculptures, they were equally skeptical of her style, perceiving in her a woman weary and hopeless, wanting to immerse herself in art, an eccentric and unusual woman. When funding and orders dwindled and eventually ceased, Camille resented Rodin, believing him to be the cause of all her misfortunes and severed all contact with him.
Her artistic creations could not distract her from the pain of love and dissatisfaction with her career; she was consumed by despair, loneliness, poverty, tormented by obsessions, dreams, and delusions, and she used a hammer to destroy countless of her artworks as well as many letters...
Camille's mother always hated her for what she considered a dissolute and immoral lifestyle, her younger brother Paul was jealous of her genius, and her younger sister Louise wanted to get rid of her to seize the inheritance. They decided to have her committed to a mental hospital. Although the doctors deemed it unnecessary, Camille remained confined there for the last 30 years of her life, neglected and uncared for, until her death in 1943.
One could say Camille was an exceptional genius; she was wealthy, beautiful, determined, and had a bright, promising future. Rodin loved her, and Debussy admired her—how brilliant her life could have been! ButA lifetime of tragic fate for a talented individual.Camille lived and died in tragedy, her talent unrecognized, imprisoned in solitude, forever unable to fulfill the longing she expressed in her delirium: how happy I would be to return to my beloved childhood home in Villeneuve!
Nearly a century later, in 1988, when a film about Camille Claudel's life was released, more than 70 surviving works from the countless others she had destroyed finally found their rightful place in world art history. The Musée Camille Claudel, opened in March 2017, is a national museum in France, located in Nogent-sur-Seine, dedicated to Camille's works.
Frida (2002)
In 2002, the filmFridaInspired by the life of the Mexican painter Frida Kahlo (1907-1954), this film became an artistic event when it was nominated for 6 Oscars and won 2. This was the first time this legendary and enigmatic figure of painting was so successfully portrayed on the big screen with a superb performance by Salma Hayek.
Frida was involved in a bus accident at the age of 17, suffering severe injuries, with almost all her bones shattered, and was thought unlikely to survive. Although she later recovered and was able to walk again, she suffered excruciating pain for the rest of her life and underwent 35 surgeries, mainly on her spine and legs. During her time in the hospital, her father created special easels so that his daughter could paint while lying in her hospital bed.
She often painted herself. Frida Kahlo once said, "I paint myself because I am lonely. And because who I am is what I understand best." Her life was surrounded by mirrors: in front of her wardrobe, next to her dressing table, even mirrors hung on the wall of her garden gazebo. This was the easiest way for Frida to look at herself and paint her own reflection.
But the film is not simply about Frida's strong character and burning passion for painting; it also recreates a part of her tumultuous love affair with her husband, the Mexican painter Diego Rivera, or her passionate but short-lived love for the Russian politician Leon Trotsky... and even her same-sex relationships.
In 1929, despite her family's objections, Frida married Diego. Their marriage was plagued by constant problems, as both were erratic, hot-tempered, and unfaithful. They divorced in 1939 and remarried in 1940. This second marriage was just as troubled as the first. Marital misfortunes, miscarriages, and the pain of betrayal are central themes in Frida's works.
Frida Kahlo is portrayed beautifully in the film, not only through her works and love affairs, but also because of her ideals and the way she celebrated indigenous culture through the Mexican Native American clothing she often wore and the traditional jewelry she adorned, creating an endless source of inspiration for fashion designers later on.
Her somewhat unrestrained, impulsive, and fierce lifestyle shone brightly from the painting to the silver screen. Frida Kahlo lived a short but passionate life, enduring much suffering but never losing her desire.LoveandlivingShe was like a flame, like fireworks, exploding and overwhelming, then fading away, but without regret.
Big Eyes (2014)
Biographical filmBig EyesIt was an "unusual" project in Tim Burton's filmmaking career. The film was inspired by the true story of one of the most successful artists of the 1950s and early 1960s. ButWho is that?
After fleeing her broken marriage, Margaret met Walter Keane around 1950. They quickly fell in love due to their shared passion for painting. They gradually gained fame for their paintings of babies with their mesmerizingly large eyes, a reflection of Margaret's own childhood misfortunes. However, her talent went largely unnoticed, and she had little opportunity to develop her artistic career in the patriarchal society of the time.
Walter initially tried incorporating his wife's paintings into advertising campaigns for the art gallery he opened. Margaret's seemingly "trivial" drawings unexpectedly garnered significant attention and inquiries from art gallery owners.
Margaret always signed her paintings as Keane, making it easy for Walter to sell them as the sole author without revealing his deception to his wife. Walter also tried to learn Margaret's painting style but couldn't. Margaret discovered the truth after two years of marriage but decided to remain silent, believing that paintings attributed to men would fetch higher prices.
By the 1960s, imitations of Keane's work were mass-produced and sold everywhere. As the paintings sold increasingly well and Walter opened more galleries, Margaret was forced to work up to 16 hours a day to meet demand, while Walter went out boasting and enjoying the fruits of his wife's labor. As time went on, the eyes in Margaret's paintings became sadder and more melancholic, reflecting her own despair. Gradually realizing that her marriage had pushed her to the brink of depression, Margaret divorced Walter in 1965.
Later, Margaret tried to regain ownership of her artwork. The climax of their battle was in court in 1986. Margaret immediately painted a picture in front of the judge to prove she was the true author of the famous paintings. Walter refused to paint, claiming he had a… shoulder injury. As a result, Margaret won the case and received $4 million in compensation. Since then, Margaret has rightfully made her mark in art history, and she continues to create art in San Francisco to this day. Walter Keane never painted another picture until his death. His name faded into oblivion, remembered only as a brazen fraudster who was exposed.
Through Margaret's personal story, the film recreates the values and distinctive cultural characteristics of art and aesthetics in the 1950s. Its vivid authenticity, combined with its entertaining nature, is truly captivating.Big EyesThe film's appeal stems from its fluid and graceful filmmaking style, coupled with incredibly engaging dialogue. The filmmaker's unique artistic perspectives are subtly embedded through witty and satirical lines, along with a series of ironic and subtly suggestive situations. Therefore, without dramatizing the plot, the film powerfully portrays the patriarchal mindset and the trend-driven art appreciation that plagued previous decades.
Some argue that this is Tim Burton's most sincere and personal work.Big EyesIt gives voice to the grievances of female artists in particular, and artists in general, regarding injustice in employment and the difficulties in protecting the fruits of their labor.
Woman in Gold (2015)
InWoman in GoldVeteran British actress Helen Mirren plays Maria Altmann, an 87-year-old Jewish woman who survived World War II. The film is named after a portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer, Maria's aunt, painted by Austrian artist Gustav Klimt in 1907. The painting was stolen from the Bloch-Bauer family by the Nazis, who sought to erase the model's Jewish ancestry and retitle it "Woman in Gold."
This is one of five paintings by Gustav Klimt that the Austrian government returned to Maria Altmann in 2005, after a protracted legal battle. At the time, the painting was on display at the Belvedere Museum, considered the "Mona Lisa of Austria" and a "national treasure"...
The film's protagonist, Maria, is neither a painter nor a model, yet her life is intertwined with the upheavals of the era and the fluctuating fate of the paintings. Along with a young, inexperienced but passionate lawyer, she fights to reclaim her family's precious paintings. For her, these are not just assets worth hundreds of millions of dollars, but also her affection for her Aunt Adele, memories of a peaceful time in Vienna, and evidence of the war crimes she and many other Jews suffered. Maria doesn't want all of this to be buried by time, for Aunt Adele's name to be erased, leaving only a "woman gilded in gold," and for the younger generation to forget the genocide that once took place in this beautiful city. Although not directly involved in the creation of the portrait of Adele, Maria's lawsuit transformed her into a "muse," bringing the bloody history behind the painting to light and forever etching her name in art history as a warm and humane presence amidst the cold, withered leaves.
Interspersed among the compelling details of her legal battle with the Austrian authorities are memories that Maria wanted to bury, suddenly resurfacing: her beloved aunt Adele, her peaceful and happy childhood years in a wealthy family in Vienna, and her marriage to a young artist...
Everything crumbled when the Nazis occupied Austria, and Maria's family, like millions of other Jews, shared a tragic and inescapable fate. Through the film, Maria leads the audience back in time to witness these historical moments.
Appearing only briefly in a few scenes, the character of Adele Bloch-Bauer left a strong impression on the audience with her beauty, elegance, and regal demeanor, along with her profound and gentle thoughts. Klimt painted Adele with love and respect, Maria looked at Adele's portrait with a mix of sad and joyful memories, and posterity will forever admire her.the woman covered in goldas a symbol of 20th-century European art and history.
The Dazzling Life of Hokusai's Daughter (2017)
The film is based on the life of Katsushika Ōi, a female ukiyo-e painter. She was the third daughter of the famous painter Katsushika Hokusai. Perhaps little introduction is needed; everyone knows Hokusai's works, which are considered symbols of Japanese art and culture. Ōi wasn't as famous as her father, but anyone who has taken the time to learn about her paintings will undoubtedly agree that she was also very talented.
From a young age, she studied painting with her father and developed a keen interest in art. Upon reaching adulthood, she divorced her husband a few years after their marriage and returned home to care for and assist her father. Ōi helped Hokusai complete his "36 Views of Mount Fuji" series of paintings.
When Hokusai grew old and could no longer wield his brush freely, Ōi became her father's "brush," painting in his place. It was then that she developed a strong passion for colors and eventually created her own unique painting style. Hokusai once said, "The portraits of beautiful women I paint myself cannot compare to Ōi's." Indeed, Ōi was as skilled at painting portraits of beautiful women as she was at calligraphy.
Ōi inherited not only his father's artistic talent but also his free spirit. Neither of them cared about material possessions or household chores. The father and son would often spend their days painting, skipping meals and buying ready-made food at the nearby market. After a while, when they found their house so messy and dirty that they couldn't live there anymore, they would pack up and move.
Perhaps in modern times, Katsushika and her father's lifestyle wouldn't be considered too scandalous, but simply the free-spirited style of an artist. However, in the 19th century, in a conservative, patriarchal society like Japan, it's easy to imagine the gossip surrounding Katsushika Ōi. But she didn't care; her world was the world of painting. Even though love had disappointed her, even though everyone—including her mother—didn't understand her, in her eyes there was always a radiant sun that guided her through life's obstacles.
But after Hokusai's death, Ōi's life suddenly changed. How? No one knows. All traces of her seem to have vanished from the world since then. But it can be inferred that for a middle-aged woman who only knew how to paint, alone and without support in feudal society, things were not easy. The film only recounts that she died in solitude a few years later. But it can be said that, even though she was humbly hidden behind the shadow of her illustrious father, Ōi left a special mark on Japanese painting with her talent and lifestyle that transcended the norms of her time, and her name will forever remain unforgettable.
