Lust for Life (1956)

Director: Vincente Minnelli
Starring: Kirk Douglas, Anthony Quinn, James Donald

Synopsis:
The life of Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh.

Impressions:
I remember being shown this film in art class as a kid, so it was nice to revisit it some twenty years later. Besides bearing a significant physical resemblance to Van Gogh, Kirk Douglas pulls out all the stops to deliver all the tortured passion of the painter, for which he was justly nominated for an Oscar. Anthony Quinn is also strong as Paul Gaugin to the point where his performance effectively soured me on the real-life Gaugin. I liked how they used Van Gogh's paintings to illustrate his life and times. As an art enthusiast and as a film enthusiast, I highly recommend it.

Rating:
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