National Gallery of Canada

[Chris Knipp]

The museum would give you the info about the film DEAR THEO

Dear Theo, directed by Paul Lavoie, produced by Made in PM, Paris, 2011 (10 minutes)

Paul Lavoie is on IMDb, a film editor who works in Hollywood and has collaborated on many well known movies including LORDS OF WAR, CONTAGION, CRAZY HEART, and my favorite, A VERY HARLOLD & KUMAR 3D CHRISTMAS. The ten-minute film on Van Gogh however, I can't find listed anywhere except by the Natinonal Museum of Canada. Maybe it was commissioned by them.

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0492190/

[Johann]

I never looked it up. You're more on top of this than me!
:)
I'll ask them on my next visit- next week.

[Chris Knipp]

You don't have the time.

[Johann]

I am going to the exhibit on it's final day- Sept. 3rd.

[Johann]

The show 60 Minutes did an inquiry years ago into the exact circumstances of van Gogh's suicide, which, through the research of scholars, was found to be quite untrue. There is evidence that he was shot in town, not in a field. And they say he was shot by kids who mocked him and as he was dying told the police not to accuse anyone of his death, an odd thing to say. Do your own research to come to your own conclusion about his demise. To me, it doesn't matter how he died or why. Exhalt in the glorious works he left behind. They are gifts to humanity.

[Johann]

I asked a staff member at the National Gallery about the van Gogh film series and she told me the museum had nothing to do with their creation. None were commissioned. I'm seeing another film in about 40 mins. Will post

[Chris Knipp]

From what you say, about which I have no opinion, the film "Dear Theo" got its facts all wrong about how and why Vincent died. As for the little film, somebody in Canada might have commissioned it. It's only mentioned on the museum webstie
http://www.beaux-arts.ca/vangogh/fr/23.htm

And on another Montreal website
http://www.documentary.org/magazine/...rates-30-years

It's apparently also included in a film series there at the moment.

The supposed producer "Made in PM Paris" listed by the museum for the film may have been created just for that film because it's not mentioned anywhere else. Or maybe it's a Ducth collaboration since the dialogue apparently is in Dutch?

[Johann]

Dear Theo is in Dutch/French with english subs.
It was shown again in front of the 50 minute film I just saw that chronicles his final 70 days, where he worked non-stop.
As for Dear Theo, the facts appear to be all wrong on his death. He's lying in bed, after staggering back to his room, so it's correct in that way. That did happen. Dr. Gachet (who Vincent did a portrait of twice) did a sketch of him on the bed as he lay dying but that is not portrayed. Dear Theo just shows him injured and uses titles to tell us other things. But it is far from a "definitive" film of any sort. It just poetically evokes the man and his mindset. It's not CSI Miami.

[Johann]

Vincent Van Gogh: Derniers jours a Auvers-au-Oise

This is a very nice fifty-minute film that gives us insight into the Master's final months at Auvers-au-Oise, a place that was considered the Hamptons of the wealthy French of the 19th Century. Vincent was there, renting a small room in an inn. The only time he would socialize was to order meals. The gun that was used to shoot him was believed to be from the owner of the inn. Lots of enigmas with this man, van Gogh. He lived to paint, and he would carry 20 kilos of art supplies with him to work: canvasses, brushes, easels, etc. His creative output in his final 70 days is quite amazing. They said how many paintings he did, and it was more than one per day.

We see some great footage of the Van Gogh Museum, where we get to see the final 4 sketches he ever sent to Theo, carefully preserved by the museum, along with 4 of his actual sketchbooks, small ones, that usually contain images and figures that he would later incorporate into his paintings. Great to see what those look like.
He is described as "the World's Favorite Painter", but that is open for debate. Rembrandt, Picasso, Michaelangelo & DaVinci can lay claim to that title too.

I am fascinated by van Gogh and I think I understand his madness. He had a Lust for Life, that's for Damn Sure, and the evidence is in his work. They say he opened the door for 20th Century Art, and in this film they examine some of his paintings and point out why he influenced such and such.
I myself don't know enough about the man and his works to give qualified statements. All I know is I love his style and I want a print of that church he painted in Auvers- the one that looks like he painted while in a clear light buzz of Absinthe...

French (with English subtitles)

[Chris Knipp]

Don't kbnow if I like the sound of the first "last days" film; not so keen on mock-ups based on misinformation. To be honest, he's far from my favorite painter. He had great talent; I am very impressed by his powers as a draftsman as well as visionary painter. None of the others either. I prefer Matisse, though I love Picasso too. Many others. Not a fan of impressionism. Renoir was a talented family. I studied with his grandson. He taught me Anglo-Saxon, and I wouldn't have had it any other way.

[Johann]

He is described in one film as a great draftsman. A better draftsman than artist some say.
I understand your point about Impressionism.
I'm not the biggest fan of it either. Van Gogh at least tried to do better than that. He was able to see a subject differently than others. One of his models said that he captured the soul of the woman she would become many years later- the deep blue portrait he did of a young girl. The Oise film showed a photo of her as an old woman looking at the portrait, and you can tell she is in Awe.

He was a full-blown alcoholic and some dismiss him outright because of it.
Some people want their heroes to be character-flaw free.

[Johann]

I forgot to mention that his relationship with Theo is a large thing.
Vincent was keenly aware that he was a burden to Theo, what with him paying for his lodgings and all of his art supplies.
In the Painted With Words film they give us the numbers, and Theo was using about 30% of his income to sustain Vincent.
The film also says that Vincent may have died willingly to alleviate the burden he knew he was to Theo, which is why some scholars say Theo died of a broken heart.

[Johann]

You studied with the Grandson of Auguste?! Or Jean?

[Chris Knipp]

The grandson of Auguste Renoir, Professor Alain Renoir at UC Berkeley. He started the Comparative Literature Dept. A medievalist. No longer with us.

[Chris Knipp]

I didn't know Van Gogh was an alcoholic. I see somewhere it says he also drank coffee excessively, smoked, and did n't eat enough. In short, not a healthy dude. i spoke of his gifts as a draftsman because he is a fine one, you see it early, but his paintings don't do much for me. Part of it is that too many gawk and ooh and aah over them who don't know much about art.