Surviving Picasso [1996] [VHS]

If you like Picasso and want to find out more about his life you need to watch this film

The script is a little clunky but is saved by a stellar performance from Anthony Hopkins. This film is a fascinating tale of a flawed genius and a giant of the art world. With brown contact lenses and a haircut, Hopkins is a believable Picasso despite making no attempt at a Spanish accent and sometimes looks very like the artist. Hopkins manages to capture Picasso's eccentric personality and magnetism and goes some way to explain why so many people tolerated his often tyrannical behaviour. Natasha McEchlone plays Francoise Gilot, an artist in her own right and Picasso's mistress for ten years. She is still alive at the ripe old age of 101 and the mother of two of his children including the designer Paloma. Gilot's autobiography of their life together obviously inspired the film but she refused to give director James Ivory the rights to use it and Picasso's estate refused to allow any reproductions of Picasso's paintings to be used. Other star turns include Dame Joan Plowright as Gilot's aunt; Julianne Moore as one of his pained exes, Dora Maar; a young Nathaniel West as his eldest son, Pablo and Joss Ackland as Matisse.

I missed this film when it came out, but it has to be one of the finest from the Merchant Ivory stable. Anthony Hopkins as Picasso is simply stunning, and combined with the signature art-house filming for which MI became so famous, they add up to a fascinating and lyrical film. Apart from Picasso's voracious sexual appetite, the film's strength is in how it captures his endless artistic innovation, which constantly interplays with his magnetic and quirky personality. Not to be missed!

Needs a remaster to Blu Ray

DVD arrived very quickly and in good condition. The only reason for giving a three star rating rather then a five star rating was because it was designed for a Korean audience with Korean subtitles and no facility for introducing English subtitles. International we may be, but Korean subtitles not really suitable for elderly English viewers

the film kept freezing

Love this film.

A very balanced view of the great artist and the period of his life which he shared with Françoise Gilot. Some great actors as well, starting with my all-time favourite Anthony Hopkins. Pity I had to watch it on my iPhone as the quality was really poor on my Mac

Yes

Very nice movie.

Una de esas grandiosas actuaciones de Anthony Hopkins, que no alcanzo la popularidad de otras obras suyas. No he comprendido nunca el porque pero......., es asi. La recomiendo por su forma de dar a conocer esa parte tan oscura y cruel del pintor, la cual interpreto el actor de forma magistral.

Bei diesem Film handelt es sich um eine absolut gelungene Arbeit: Anthony Hopkins verkörpert ungemein glaubwürdig (schon die äußere Ähnlichkeit des Schauspielers mit dem Künstler ist frappierend!) den Maler Pablo Picasso und schafft es, den Charakter des Spaniers überzeugend und faszinierend umzusetzen. Dieser besteht aus Charme und einem ungeheueren Genie gepaart mit einer ordentlichen Portion Spleenigkeit, ja beinahe Wahnsinn. Auch mit der Besetzung von Natasha McElhone als Picassos Geliebte und Mutter zweier seiner (vielen) Kinder ist ein wahrer Glückgriff gelungen. Die Schauspielerin begeistert durchweg mit ihrer Darstellung der einzigen Frau in Pablo Picassos Leben, die es geschafft hat, ihm dem Laufpass zu geben- und nicht wie so viele ihrer Vorgängerinnen an seinem Charakter zu zerbrechen (der treffende Originaltitel des Filmes ist "Surviving Picasso").Der Film behandelt nämlich nicht Picassos gesamtes Leben, sondern beleuchtet die Zeit näher, die er mit der Malerin Francoise Gilot verbracht hat. Sehr eindrücklich wird ihre Liebegeschichte geschildert: von den Anfängen voller Enthusiasmus und dem Reiz des Neuen über die Ernüchterung hervorgerufen durch Picassos schwierigen Charakter bis hin zum schließlichen Bruch der Beziehung.Fazit: überragende Darsteller, Picassos Leben faszinierend und spannend erzählt!

LOVE THIS MOVIE FOR YEARS . USE TO HAVE ON VHS AND NOW FINALLY DVD. GREAT MOVIE JULIANNE MOORE AND HOPKINS ARE AMZING AS ALWAYS. ITS A GREAT INTRESTING AND AT TIMES TOUCHING MOVIE. LEARN ALL ABOUT PICASO AND THE WOMAN HE LOVED. 5 STAR MOVIE ALL THE WAY