Van Gogh *** (1991, Jacques Dutronc, Alexandra London, Gérard Séty, Bernard Le Coq, Corinne Bourdon, Elsa Zylberstein) – Classic Movie Review 6054

A complex, deeply humane portrayal by Alexandra Dutronc brings the troubled painter Vincent Van Gogh to life in writer-director Maurice Pialat’s meticulous and supremely detailed 1992 French historical biopic that places the end of the artist’s life in the foreground of the picture. Pialat looks at the last 67 days of Van Gogh’s life in spring 1890 leading up to his death from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

At 158 minutes, the film is a shade overlong but Pialat’s screenplay and direction show great sensitivity and understanding, and it is hard to fault the film’s drama and unobtrusive sense of period.

Also in the cast are Alexandra London as Marguerite Gachet, Gérard Séty as Gachet, Bernard Le Coq as the younger brother Théo Van Gogh, Corinne Bourdon, Elsa Zylberstein, Leslie Azzoulai, Jacques Vidal, Chantal Barbarit, Claudine Ducret, Frédéric Bonpart, Maurice Coussoneau, Didier Barbier, Gilbert Pignol, André Bernot and Lise Lamétrie.

It is shot by Emmanuel Machuel, Gilles Henri and Jacques Loiseleux, produced by Daniel Toscan du Plantier and Sylvie Danton, and designed by Yann Dedet.

For a different take on Vincent Van Gogh, see Loving Vincent (2017).

© Derek Winnert 2017 Classic Movie Review 6054

Check out more reviews on http://derekwinnert.com