- Actors: Kirk Douglas, Anthony Quinn, James Donald, Pamela Brown, Everett Sloane
- Directors: Vincente Minnelli
- Format: PAL, Colour, Full Screen, HiFi Sound
- Language English
- Aspect Ratio: 4:3 - 1.33:1
- Classification: PG
- Studio: Warner Home Video
- VHS Release Date: 22 Jun 1998
- Run Time: 122 minutes
- Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
- ASIN: B00004CNH4
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 13,899 in Video (See Top 100 in Video)
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
12 of 12 people found the following review helpful
With an uncanny resemblance to the self-portraits of Vincent Van Gogh, Kirk Douglas is perfect for this detailed and wonderful production of the artist's life; it's a passionate performance of a troubled soul, whose creative urges battled with his mental illness.
The film has an intelligent script by Norman Corwin, based on Irving Stone's biographical novel. It picks up the story around 1879, when Van Gogh was 26 years old, and went to minister (unsuccessfully) to the coal miners of a destitute area, and from there takes us through his many different abodes, his relationship with "Christine", who is well played by Pamela Brown, and the flourishing of his art in his last 15 years of life.
The art direction is superb, and the recreations of the places Van Gogh painted a marvel, among them the famous yellow house he lived in and its bedroom, and my favorite, the pool hall, with its hanging lamps.
The cinematography by Freddy Young and Russell Harlan is terrific, and we get many full screen views of the original paintings, many of them lesser known pieces from private collections.
The film has an intelligent script by Norman Corwin, based on Irving Stone's biographical novel. It picks up the story around 1879, when Van Gogh was 26 years old, and went to minister (unsuccessfully) to the coal miners of a destitute area, and from there takes us through his many different abodes, his relationship with "Christine", who is well played by Pamela Brown, and the flourishing of his art in his last 15 years of life.
The art direction is superb, and the recreations of the places Van Gogh painted a marvel, among them the famous yellow house he lived in and its bedroom, and my favorite, the pool hall, with its hanging lamps.
The cinematography by Freddy Young and Russell Harlan is terrific, and we get many full screen views of the original paintings, many of them lesser known pieces from private collections.
This was a multi-award winning film, and garnered an Best Supporting Actor Oscar for Anthony Quinn, who is fabulous as Paul Gauguin, whose personality was the complete opposite of his friend Van Gogh; the ego clashes when they attempted to live together are well illustrated in several scenes, and with a little addition to his nose, Quinn has been made to look exactly like Gauguin's famous self-portrait with the snake.
James Donald is excellent as Vincent's patient and generous brother, who was Van Gogh's central means of support for most of his lifetime, both financially and of his paintings.
A tremendous knowledge about art went into this film, and it's one of the best artist biographies ever put to film (another good one also came from a Stone best seller, "The Agony and the Ecstasy"), and is a must-see for artists and anyone with an interest in Van Gogh's genius. Total running time is 122 minutes.
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
This film about Van Gogh's life is excellent. You do not have to an art lover or conniseur to enjoy this story. Kirk Douglas deserved to win an Oscar for his performance of the troubled artist. But he didn't. Isn't it funny that the best artists are often overlooked?
18 of 19 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
In 1956 Director Vincent Minnelli took in his hands the first film biopic of the famous impressionist painter Vincent Van Gog.Adapted from the Irwin Stone novel it was MGM's prestigue film of the year gathering several Oscar nominations.
The task of bringuing to the screen the passionate and dramatic life of a true revolutionary artist couldn't be easy but Minnelli did a wonderful job recreating the life and times of Van Gog. Lust for Life is undoubtly a 1950ths classic with a brilliant cinemathography by Freddy Young, great score by Miklos Rosza, beautiful Art Direction by Cedric Gibbons and of course wonderful acting by Kirk Douglas as Van Gog and Anthony Quinn as Paul Gauguin(winner of the Oscar for best suporting actor of 1956)! This being said its just a shame that such a wonderful film didn't guet the Special Edition treatment! Even so....buy it!!!
The task of bringuing to the screen the passionate and dramatic life of a true revolutionary artist couldn't be easy but Minnelli did a wonderful job recreating the life and times of Van Gog. Lust for Life is undoubtly a 1950ths classic with a brilliant cinemathography by Freddy Young, great score by Miklos Rosza, beautiful Art Direction by Cedric Gibbons and of course wonderful acting by Kirk Douglas as Van Gog and Anthony Quinn as Paul Gauguin(winner of the Oscar for best suporting actor of 1956)! This being said its just a shame that such a wonderful film didn't guet the Special Edition treatment! Even so....buy it!!!
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Lusty Vincent but is it him?
Director Vincent Minnelli's 1956 film of Van Gogh is probably how many people imagine him; together with Don MacLean's wonderfully evocative "Starry Starry Night" and the stories... Read more
Published 9 months ago by RR Waller
Search carefully before buying this product
One of the speakers is not working. The other one is enough to make enough sound! Speakers are making some noise (zzzzztttt) even during standy by! Read more
Published 9 months ago by Mr. C. Cevizli
Wonderful Movie Which Kirk Douglas Does A Great Performance
"Lust for life" is a wonderful film about the life of tormented but talented artist Vincent Van Gogh, which Kirk Douglas does a great performance. Read more
Published 10 months ago by Mrs. Marilyn A. Rice
Really Good Film
This film is really good it went into detail and it showed a lot of stuff some people may not know about. Read more
Published on 27 Mar 2010 by Owen M
Lust for Life
A stunning film, so much better than its reputation suggests. It's very much a fifties movie, a 'serous' melodrama about a 'serious' subject based on a best-selling novel. Read more
Published on 25 Mar 2010 by Mr. Bernard Moss
Good but not great....
I procrastinate a lot. But I recently got around to watching this 1956 film version of the life and work of Vincent Van Gogh. Read more
Published on 24 Feb 2010 by Robert Blunden
Lust for life.
Great DVD !
Kirk douglas at his utmost best portraying the great Van Gogh a definate most for any budding artist.
Beautiful scenery and brilliant acting.
Kirk douglas at his utmost best portraying the great Van Gogh a definate most for any budding artist.
Beautiful scenery and brilliant acting.
Published on 5 Sep 2009 by Dale Armstrong
Hollywood style gets in the way
First of all - this is a very good film. Certainly four star. For those who have only seen him in Spartacus Kirk Douglas' performance is exceptional and I am not sure that he... Read more
Published on 16 Mar 2008 by Mr. Derek R. Osbourne
Kirk van Gogh
I like to keep my reviews brief, so here goes: a little known fact is that Vincent and Theo had a brother named Kirk. Kirk moved to the USA. Read more
Published on 18 Dec 2007 by Geoff Bunn ART PRINTS
Great classic
I agree with the other guys comments :) this is a great classic! Kirk Douglas is brilliant as ever. If your into the work of Van Gogh? and never seen this film? Read more
Published on 20 Aug 2007 by M. Jones
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