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WestminsterResearch http://www.westminster.ac.uk/westminsterresearch The artist biopic: a historical analysis of narrative cinema, 1934- 2010 Bovey, D. This is an electronic version of a PhD thesis awarded by the University of Westminster. © Mr David Bovey, 2015. The WestminsterResearch online digital archive at the University of Westminster aims to make the research output of the University available to a wider audience. Copyright and Moral Rights remain with the authors and/or copyright owners. Whilst further distribution of specific materials from within this archive is forbidden, you may freely distribute the URL of WestminsterResearch: ((http://westminsterresearch.wmin.ac.uk/). In case of abuse or copyright appearing without permission e-mail [email protected] 1 THE ARTIST BIOPIC: A HISTORICAL ANALYSIS OF NARRATIVE CINEMA, 1934-2010 DAVID ALLAN BOVEY A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements of the University of Westminster for the degree of Master of Philosophy December 2015 2 ABSTRACT The thesis provides an historical overview of the artist biopic that has emerged as a distinct sub-genre of the biopic as a whole, totalling some ninety films from Europe and America alone since the first talking artist biopic in 1934. Their making usually reflects a determination on the part of the director or star to see the artist as an alter-ego. Many of them were adaptations of successful literary works, which tempted financial backers by having a ready-made audience based on a pre-established reputation. The sub-genre’s development is explored via the grouping of films with associated themes and the use of case studies. These examples can then be used as models for exploring similar sets of data from other countries and time periods. The specific topics chosen for discussion include the representation of a single painter, for example, Vincent Van Gogh, to see how the treatment of an artist varies across several countries and over seventy years. British artist biopics are analysed as a case study in relation to the idea of them posing as a national stereotype. Topics within sex and gender studies are highlighted in analysis of the representation of the female artist and the queer artist as well as artists who have lived together as couples. A number of well-known gallery artists have become directors of artist biopics and their films are considered to see what particular insights a professional working artist can bring to the portrayal of artistic genius and creation. In the concluding part of the thesis it is argued that the artist biopic overall has survived the bad press which some individual productions have received and can even be said to have matured under the influence of directors producing a quality product for the art house, festival and avant-garde distribution circuits. As a genre it has proved extremely adaptable and has reflected the changing attitudes towards art and artists within the wider community. It has both encouraged renewed interest in the work of established national artists and also raised the profile of those relatively obscure such as Séraphine de Senlis and Pirosmani. 3 TITLE PAGE 1 ABSTRACT 2 CONTENTS 3-5 Chapter 1. Introduction 6-22 1.1 The artist biopic. 6 1.2 In defence of the artist biopic. 7 1.3. The question of ‘historical accuracy’. 10 1.4. The question of ‘reproduction of art works’ – the art of display. 15 1.5. The question of ‘genre’. 18 1.6. The production of the artist biopic. 19 1.7. Structure of the thesis. 21 Chapter 2. The chronology of the artist biopic: an overview 23-102 2.1. Promise unfulfilled: Alexander Korda’s Rembrandt (1936). 23 2.2. Artist biopics in Germany and Italy during the Second World War. 30 2.3. The colour of canvas; Hollywood discovers the artist biopic. 36 2.4. The hard road to enlightenment: the artist biopic in the USSR and the German Democratic Republic 1966-1971. 53 2.5. Radical artists on a shoestring: the British artist biopic 1972-1974. 65 2.6. Across national boundaries: the rise and rise of the international artist bio-pic. 92 Chapter 3. Vincent Van Gogh 103-124 3.1. Introduction. 103 3.2. Lust for Life. 105 3.3. The 1990 centenary of Van Gogh’s death: Vincent and Theo (1990), Van Gogh (1991) and Dreams (1990). 109 3.4. Van Gogh the time traveller: Besuch bei Van Gogh (Visiting van Gogh, 1985),Vincent et moi (Vincent and Me, 1990), Starry Night (1999), and Full Moon Fables (2003). 119 3.5. Full circle: Vincent Van Gogh as mad genius; The Eyes of Van Gogh (2005) 122 3.6. Conclusion. 123 Chapter 4. The British artist biopic: a hidden dose of duende 125-158 4.1. Origins of British artist biopics. 129 4.2. Production of British artist biopics. 134 4.3 Reception of British artist biopics. 136 4.4. Derek Jarman and Peter Greenaway. 140 4.5. A hidden dose of duende. 143 4.6. Conclusion. 157 4 Chapter 5. Female artist biopic 159-186 5.1. Camille Claudel. 163 5.2. Female artists and madness. 166 5.3. Artemisea. 169 5.4. Frida 174 5.5. The lesbian artist. 179 5.6 Conclusion. 185 Chapter 6. The queer artist biopic 187-206 6.1. The gay artist as victim. 187 6.2. The gay artist and ‘rough trade’. 192 6.3. The gay artist’s lifestyle. 193 6.4. The arrival of a queer cinema 198 6.5. The reception of the gay artist biopic. 200 6.6. Andy Warhol. 202 6.7. Conclusion. 205 Chapter 7. Gallery artists as directors of artist biopics 207-235 7.1. John Maybury. 208 7.2. Lech Majewski. 210 7.3. Peter Greenaway. 215 7.4. Joyce Wieland. 222 7.5. Charles Matton, Julian Schnabel and Derek Jarman. 231 7.6. Conclusion. 235 Chapter 8. Conclusion 236-241 APPENDICES 242-255 APPENDIX A: Chronology of production of artist biopics. 242 APPENDIX B: Table 1: Number of artist biopics produced each decade. 246 APPENDIX C: Table 2: Artist biopics by the decade according to the country with the major financial investment. 247 APPENDIX D: Artist biopics chronologically by the birth date of the subject artist, together with country of origin and date of production. 248 APPENDIX E: Artist biopics chronologically by country, according to the main financial investor. 252 APPENDIX F: German biopics of the Second World War. 254 APPENDIX G: Biopics featuring female artists. 255 LIST OF REFERENCES 256-277 5 BIBLIOGRAPHY 278-329 FILMOGRAPHY 330-357 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS To my supervisor, Dr. Margherita Sprio, for her constant encouragement and ready assistance, and to my wife, Katie, for her unwavering support over so many years. AUTHOR’S DECLARATION I declare that all the material contained in this thesis is my own work. David Allan Bovey. 6 Chapter 1. Introduction. 1.1. The artist biopic. This thesis is devoted to the analysis of a sub-genre of the narrative biographical film, hereafter referred to as the ‘biopic’. The biopic has been precisely defined by its pioneering historian, George F. Custen (1992:6), as simply being “minimally composed of the life, or the portion of a life, of a real person whose real name is used”. The sub-genre in question is the artist biopic, which can include artists that use any medium, though in the case of narrative feature films these have so far been confined to painters, sculptors or photographers. Felleman (2006: 5) has defined the artist biopic in a very loose form as a film “wholly concerned with art, the lives of artists, and art making”, which rather leaves the category too wide open. Here a compromise between the preciseness and generality between the two definitions will be used. Custen excluded romans–à-clef on the basis that only the use of real names suggested an openness to historical scrutiny and the film being treated seriously as an ‘official’ biography. However, they will be included in this thesis where the link between a fictional subject and an historical artist has been widely acknowledged. Some examples are Life Lessons within the portmanteau film New York Stories (Martin Scorsese, 1990) based on Chuck Connelly and The Moon and Sixpence (Albert Lewin, 1942) based on Somerset Maugham’s very original portrait of the later life of Gauguin. Indeed, some fictional artists will also appear where it is felt that the films provide an important direct commentary on contemporary attitudes towards artists and their work, such as in The Horse’s Mouth (Ronald Neame, 1958). Only artist biopics that have obtained a theatrical release will be considered. This not only leaves a more manageable number of films to analyse but excludes those given only a very limited release in other media and the made-for television material often restricted to showing only in the country of origin, such as the Spanish Goya (José Ramón Larraz ,1985). Others, such as Caravaggio (Angelo Longoni, 2006), were produced for showing on television in some countries and for theatrical release in an abridged version in others and so have been included. The artist biopic is at the same time a sub- genre of film within the umbrella of what can be generally labelled the ‘historical film’ as used in the old Hollywood studio sense (Burgoyne, 7 2008: 11). Any film set in the past would qualify for this label, but the grouping can be broken down further by an approach to the film’s historical subject from the point of view of genre. This remains basically a successful marketing ploy so both producers and audiences are immediately aware of the kind of product they are offering or being offered.