Pialat proves in this film he was equally amazing as his contemporaries: Godard, Truffaut, and Chabrol, if not better. A sublime film on the painter's life during his last 67 days--without the theatrics of Vincente Minnelli's version ("Lust for Life") or the drama of Julian Schnabel's "At eternity's gate" or the weighted perspective of the Van Gogh brothers in Robert Altman's (Vincent & Theo). Pialat's original screenplay is a treat where the painter's mind is captured through minor interactions that provide you material for reflection rather than his attempt to cut off his ear or his sojourn in a mental asylum.
He had made a short film, for TV, with the same title in 1965. He must have realized the subject deserved better attention than that.
He had made a short film, for TV, with the same title in 1965. He must have realized the subject deserved better attention than that.