- Actors: Tim Roth, Paul Rhys, Adrian Brine, Jean-François Perrier, Yves Dangerfield
- Directors: Robert Altman
- Classification: 15
- Studio: Carlton
- VHS Release Date: 17 Sep 2001
- Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
- ASIN: B00005J9LU
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 17,521 in Video (See Top 100 in Video)
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
12 of 13 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
The cinematography in this film was done very well, with colours faithful to Van Gogh's paintings. There is one part of the film which was very cleverly done - you believed you were looking at a real scene showing a beach and buildings, even the sound of the surf and birds is utterly convincing, but it turns out to be a trompe lo'eil.
However clever the photography may be for this film, the film itself is let down considerably by the atrocious soundtrack. The background music is discordant, harsh, jarring, incongruous and so loud it sometimes drowned out the dialogue. I suppose the composer was trying to show Van Gogh's chaotic state of mind, with all that screeching and crashing and scratching; well, if he wanted to drive viewers mad as well then he certainly succeeded with me! I was so put off by the music that I could not finish watching the film. If you must watch this film, then I would recommend putting it on mute!
However clever the photography may be for this film, the film itself is let down considerably by the atrocious soundtrack. The background music is discordant, harsh, jarring, incongruous and so loud it sometimes drowned out the dialogue. I suppose the composer was trying to show Van Gogh's chaotic state of mind, with all that screeching and crashing and scratching; well, if he wanted to drive viewers mad as well then he certainly succeeded with me! I was so put off by the music that I could not finish watching the film. If you must watch this film, then I would recommend putting it on mute!
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
Vincent is portrayed as an excentric artist, which he wasn't.
Just because he had mental issues doesn't mean he was a loony.
Did Altman really read Van Gogh's letters before making his movie?
I doubt it very much.
Very disappointing.
Just because he had mental issues doesn't mean he was a loony.
Did Altman really read Van Gogh's letters before making his movie?
I doubt it very much.
Very disappointing.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
A woefully overlooked film, this is one of my very favorite by Altman. Amazing acting by Tim Roth and Paul Rhys, and the whole film is tremendously moving.
For me, Altman achieves a sort of dream state far more interesting than in the more critically acclaimed `3 Women'. He manages to make you feel the whole story as completely real, as if you were there in history, and yet, it has a fractured, dreamlike quality, with moments left unexplained and mysterious, but always making emotional sense.
I don't know any film that better captures the pain of being an artist, or the pain of being unable to save someone you love. Also, the whole film looks gloriously like a painting.
There are two cuts, one being the 134 minute US theatrical version, and the other a far longer version originally made for European TV. Normally I'd support the longer version as more complete, but I actually think the rhythms are far better in the US theatrical cut. While some of the extra material is interesting, most of it is clunky, expository and deserved to be cut. It makes the whole piece feel more literal and on the nose, taking away from the dreamy, subjective quality of madness that the feature version has. By explaining everything we emotionally understand less not more. If you can get ahold of it, try and see the theatrical cut.
For me, Altman achieves a sort of dream state far more interesting than in the more critically acclaimed `3 Women'. He manages to make you feel the whole story as completely real, as if you were there in history, and yet, it has a fractured, dreamlike quality, with moments left unexplained and mysterious, but always making emotional sense.
I don't know any film that better captures the pain of being an artist, or the pain of being unable to save someone you love. Also, the whole film looks gloriously like a painting.
There are two cuts, one being the 134 minute US theatrical version, and the other a far longer version originally made for European TV. Normally I'd support the longer version as more complete, but I actually think the rhythms are far better in the US theatrical cut. While some of the extra material is interesting, most of it is clunky, expository and deserved to be cut. It makes the whole piece feel more literal and on the nose, taking away from the dreamy, subjective quality of madness that the feature version has. By explaining everything we emotionally understand less not more. If you can get ahold of it, try and see the theatrical cut.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Vincent and Theo
A good film showing the torment facing Vincent Van Gogh during his life. Very good acting by all. Tim Roth made the perfect Vincent. Read more
Published 9 months ago by Mrs. M. Bicknell
vincent & theo (DVD)
An excellent portrayal of Vincent Van Gogh and his brother. It was rather long but I enjoyed every minute of it and also Robert Altman's explanation on how he produced the film... Read more
Published 16 months ago by tobykin
Excellent
I first saw this film a few years ago during my degree, and thought it was one of the best films I'd seen in a very long time. Read more
Published 21 months ago by S. Clift
A woefully overlooked Altman masterpiece, I prefer this cut to the...
A woefully overlooked film, this is one of my very favorite by Altman. Amazing acting by Tim Roth and Paul Rhys, and the whole film is tremendously moving. Read more
Published 21 months ago by K. Gordon
on the man
good on the physical and psychological portrayal but poor on his ideas and motivations behind the work.
Published on 30 Oct 2009 by antony bodger
Brilliant movie.
The movie is about love and loneliness of a man who became one of the greatest painters in our history after his death unfortunately. Read more
Published on 30 April 2008 by Barbara Jarmuzek
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