Surviving Picasso

Surviving Picasso ( original title: Surviving Picasso) is an American biographical film from 1996 about the life of Pablo Picasso in the years 1943-1953 from the perspective of his lover Françoise Gilot. The film was directed by James Ivory, Ruth Prawer Jhabvala wrote the screenplay based on the book Picasso. A Life (Original Title: Picasso) by Arianna Stassinopoulos Huffington. The main roles were played by Natascha McElhone and Anthony Hopkins.

Action

In 1943 the young painter Françoise Gilot visit ( * 1921 ) and her friend Genevieve Pablo Picasso ( 1881-1973), who is a celebrated artist at that time. While Geneviève want to continue their education in Montpellier, Picasso Gilot invites you to visit him at this time. Gilot and Picasso start a relationship. Her father is furious and beat her, Gilot moves in with her ​​grandmother.

For the next ten years Gilot is the lover of Picasso, bears him two children Claude and Paloma. She is his muse, but also paints own pictures. Every now and then she meets the other women who played a role in his life as Dora Maar and Marie -Thérèse Walter with her daughter Maya Picasso. Each week spends two days at Picasso Marie -Thérèse. She is the only person who Picasso should cut his hair and toenails. They are stored closed because Picasso fears that they could be used to prove him with a curse.

In other scenes Picasso shows how he often holds out to the waiting in the anteroom visitors and also waiting and then negotiate with him gallerists plays out after his appearance against each other.

Gilot and Picasso move into a house in the country. She meets his first wife Olga Koklowa, whom he met in 1917 and then married. Gilot invites Marie -Thérèse and her child to her house so that Maya should meet her half-siblings. Françoise gets no money from her lover. They feed themselves and their children for part of the money that gives her her grandmother, and part of what she deserves as a painter.

In the early 1950s occurs Picasso at the Communist Party and travels to Poland. Although the visit was to last only a few days, several weeks of it. The Secretary of Picasso, Jaime Sabartés, always sends the same message every day. Françoise feels hurt, she slaps her lover after his return.

Gilot and Picasso visit Henri Matisse, the only person with whom Picasso - as he says - can talk.

When her grandmother dies, Françoise travels to Paris to look after the estate. Her father helps her. Picasso already bored some time in the city; he is furious when he learns that Gilot came to Paris without his permission. Françoise throws at him sarcastically that her grandmother had died without the permission of Picasso. She decides to leave him. Picasso breaks down and cries.

Gilot meets Dora Maar, Picasso designating the surrounding atmosphere as poisoned. She says then, their lives without the painter is empty. Françoise is under siege as the only woman who does not he, but the, Picasso, left him on his own initiative by the media.

Gilot visited after some time Picasso, who already has a new lover, Jacqueline Roque. She is amused that this new woman Picasso responds with reverence. The painter asks her to open up riding on horseback bullfighting, which is organized in honor of Picasso. Your voiceover says during the scene of the ceremony that she was grateful that Picasso had given her the strength.

Reviews

James Berardinelli praised ReelViews on the occupation of the role of Pablo Picasso with Anthony Hopkins. Hopkins show the weaknesses of Picasso in a way that makes it possible to like the character. Natascha McElhone have a " handsome face " and an " attractive figure ", but they have difficulties to represent emotions. Berardinelli praised the portrayal by Julianne Moore. The film was " acceptable", but " far away " from the previous films, the outfit James Ivory and Ismail Merchant. None of the characters is shown " meaningful ".

Roger Ebert wrote in the Chicago Sun - Times on October 4, 1996, that a dilemma of biopics is that they could fall into the " chatter " light instead devote themselves to the "art". Many biographies would mainly show the private lives of individuals who have dedicated most of her work. The film show a Pablo Picasso, the first and then love the art itself. Anthony Hopkins as " unlimited possibilities of acting " on. McElhone is a bad Narratorin; the language used in the film was " formally " and " stylized ". Ebert praised the representations of Joss Ackland, Joan Plowright and Julianne Moore.

Daniel M. Kimmel wrote in Variety of 9 September 1996, that the film " relatively modern " am working. Let him show by the sight of Françoise, how can " mortals " encounter a "genius" without " cannibalized " to be. She was the only person in the area of Picasso, which was not the painter of hearing except Henri Matisse. Only they possess by the five pointed partners Picasso's enough "intelligence" and to resist " self-confidence ", his " brilliance " and his "charm". Anthony Hopkins was Picasso " flesh and blood " ( "full- blooded "). Kimmel also praised Natascha McElhone and the supporting cast Joan Plowright, Peter Eyre, Diane Venora and Julianne Moore.

Background

The shooting took place in France, including Paris. Production costs amounted to approximately 16 million U.S. dollars. The film played in theaters in the USA a 2.002 million U.S. dollars.

Media

DVD Release

  • Surviving Picasso. Warner Home Video 2006

Soundtrack

  • Richard Robbins: Surviving Picasso. Original Motion Picture Soundtrack. epic records / Sony in 1996, recordings no. 486820-2 - Original recording of the film music, conducted by Harry Rabinowitz
1996 in film Film score Richard Robbins (composer) Arianna Huffington Paloma Picasso Chicago Sun-Times
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