Movie Review: Vincent: The Life and Death of Vincent Van Gogh

Quick facts for those who don't want to read my longer review:

• This was a documentary
• This made me more interested in Vincent Van Gogh, and art in general.
  
• There were some really weird parts to it that I could have gone without
• The movie consisted of a guy with a heavy English accent reading Vincent's letters to his brother Theo. As he reads, there is video of nature, pictures of his paintings, and a few acting scenes of townspeople he might have encountered.
  

Longer review:
This movie was made in 1987...but the jacket didn't mention that...instead it said One of the Top 10 documentaries the year it was released"...probably a marketing ploy. It was produced/directed/created by Paul Cox, a very independent film maker. I watched the appended documentary about him, and he is kind of odd, but I appreciate his skills.

The heavy accent of the guy reading Vincent's letters (John Hurt) - I'm positive that was a mistake - it made me want to turn it off immediately, but I persisted.

I found it interesting that Vincent started out wanting to be a preacher, but was rejected, and he was also rejected by a woman that he loved. He quickly became cynical about religion. Around that time, he decided he wanted to paint, and became obsessed with it. In his 10 year career, he made 1,800 works, and only sold one. His brother Theo sent him money for supplies, and otherwise Vincent would not have survived for so long.

The creativity and color that Vincent used amazed me. I can't really see colors well, but I am way impressed with the boldness of the colors. And the number and variety of them used to make a whole. It makes me think of music - how the care put into it, and the complexity creates admirers - and how much dedication is necessary to create that.

I admire Vincent's dedication to his values - his love for nature. He did not want to be a slave to a job - and this led to his downfall - but we are left with beautiful paintings - makes you wonder. He struggled with insanity, but continued to paint until his suicide.

The song Vincent is one of my favorite songs (and of Courtney's). Here is a video