First painted animation film
GIVES INSIGHT INTO WHY VAN GOGH BECAME WORLD RENOWNED ARTIST
125 artists did 65 000 paintings to create the film.
Loving Vincent
Cast: Colin Firth, Emily Blunt, Anne Heche Directors: Dorota Kobiela and Hugh Welchman
Classification: DLV
Artistic reverence is a cornerstone of humanity. Respect for artists who share their emotions, ideas and perspectives on canvas has played one of the biggest roles in shaping the world, perceptions and ideas.
Whether we acknowledge it or not, art is one of the most binding experiences we have and one most people take part in. Whether it’s music or watching TV, we engage with creativity, analyse it and think about it constantly.
With so much art and so many artists in the world, Vincent van Gogh remains one of fine art’s greatest masters – which stands to reason that a film like Loving Vincent would even exist. With so many artists to celebrate, none could have been more perfect to create the world’s first painted animation film.
It took 125 artists painting 65 000 oil paintings to create the film, which celebrates the life of Van Gogh in a touching, but more importantly, artistic, way.
While the film is not an exact historic account of the artist’s life, it gives different accounts of Van Gogh from the perspective of people who knew him.
Loving Vincent explores his inner demons, what his peers thought of him and gives insight into why he became a renowned artist after his death.
To create each painting and scene for the film, it was first filmed with actors, then painted in Van Gogh’s modernistic style of hard brush strokes on canvas.
Each cast member’s likeness is recreated with inspiration from one of the 94 Van Gogh paintings or portraits featured in the film. Pieces like The Night Cafe, The Red Vineyard, The Starry Night and The Portrait of Père Tanguy are all brought to life in mesmerising strokes. Loving Vincent is an exceptional film, which merits you experiencing the impression Van Gogh left on the art community.
In terms of narrative, it is not necessarily a gripping tale but that doesn’t matter. Van Gogh’s story doesn’t need sparkling embellishment and, instead, you are emerged into a world that is fantastic, bizarre, sad and, above all, beautiful.
Although there are a few flashbacks to Van Gogh’s youth, the film predominately explores his life in his late 30s at Auverssur-Oise, where the artist had a rippling effect on townsfolk before his suicide.
Set in 1891, Armand Roulin (Douglas Booth) is tasked by his father to deliver a posthumous letter from Van Gogh to his brother Theo. Roulin, in the process, meets people who had a major effect on the artist during his last few months, as well as the ones Van Gogh effected.
As you explore the artist’s life, his art is brought to life before your eyes. There are still different theories around Van Gogh’s suicide, which are aired in the film – providing the viewer a range of accounts into the world of one of the world’s most exceptional painters.
Square-jawed Booth as Roulin is given the tremendous task of exploring a bit of art history – and he does it well. Loving Vincent is somewhat melancholy, but it never crosses the line into weeping. Instead, it is heartfelt and genuine.
It’s also never an art history lesson. Instead, it’s a thorough exploration of Van Gogh’s work.
In his short artistic career, the post-impressionist painter completed an estimated 860 oil paintings.
Watching Loving Vincent is like an escaping to an art museum. It is calming, thoughtful and meaningful – making it a surprising addition to the current circuit.
Except for Booth, the cast includes a number of high-profile actors like Chris O’Dowd, Aidan Turner, Eleanor Tomlinson and Saoirse Ronan.
Each is tasked to briefly tell you about their relationship with Van Gogh, often historic accounts that have been traced in literature and history books, as well as representing some of his inspiring portraits.
It’s a study in humanity, which at its core is all art is.