Surviving Picasso [VHS]

Surviving Picasso [VHS]
by James Ivory

Surviving Picasso [VHS]

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Product details

Actor: Anthony Hopkins, Dennis Boutsikaris, Joss Ackland, Julianne Moore, Natascha McElhone
Director: James Ivory
Edition: VHS Tape
Audio: English (Original Language), Analog
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, NTSC
Running Time: 126 minutes
Release Date: 1997-10-21
Audience Rating: R (Restricted)
Publisher: Warner Home Video
Studio: Warner Home Video

VHS Movie Reviews of Surviving Picasso [VHS]

Movie Review: A Warning for Animal Lovers - Animals were killed for this film.
Summary: 1 Stars

Like "Heaven's Gate", animals were killed for this movie. Stray cats were rounded up, secured so they couldn't escape and offered to an owl for take after take until the director was satisfied. You see one of them killed in graphic detail during the movie.

Movie Review: Excellent movie needs a DVD version!
Summary: 5 Stars

I have looked for this movie for years to come on DVD...but alas it hasn't happened yet. This movie, which is based on a book, truly shows what it was like to have to live (or 'survive' as you will) with someone who is egocentric and artistic. I don't understand why people wanted this movie to explain Picasso as a person...the title tell you its about someone who SURVIVED Picasso. This man didn't want to be understood. He didn't care about that so appreciate this movie for what it is, a great example of how someone can almost be 'swallowed' whole by another larger than life figure but who is able to transcend all that and stand on their own in the end. This movie has so many great aspects to it outside of the acting so I urge people to give this movie a chance because it is a fantastic journey from beginning to end.

Movie Review: Under-appreciated Merchant/Ivory Masterpiece!
Summary: 5 Stars

If you have seen this film, you would no doubt be able to remember many scenes from this hidden gem. The performances are all top-notch, and why there's no DVD available is mind-blowing! It's filled with unforgettable one-liners, great sets and locales, beautiful montages, and the colors are rich and vivid, with perfect flesh tones from start to finish! The print is also very clean, while the overall cinematography is simply oscar-worthy! The casting could not have been better. Just have a look at the real Dora Maar, played by Julianne Moore. Her performance is just hypnotic! Surviving Picasso is not so much about the history of Picasso's career, but has everything to do with Gilot's resilience in getting through her relationship with the narcissistic artist, and coming out a winner. Hence, the title: "Surviving" Picasso. To say this film is lacking in telling Picasso's story isn't fair, since this film is about Ms. Gilot (who by the way, is still alive and working, and would be a great person to celebrate with a dvd release of this film). Ms. McElhone's brilliant acting manages to do just that: it's celebratory in its spirit. A powerful female character on screen is always a welcomed thing to see! Ishmael Merchant's passing should have stirred someone in charge of selecting new dvd releases to do right by both Ishmael and director James Ivory, for their incredible contribution to cinema, with the release of this masterpiece on DVD. The VHS version is crystal clear by the way, so don't think it's not worth the purchase (if you can find it). The last I heard is that the Estate of Picasso did not appreciate the depiction of their relative. However, it seems a bit rude on their part to keep this dvd from seeing the light of day. Maybe they'll reconsider.

Movie Review: Eleonore Austerer
Summary: 5 Stars

Wonderful film, outstanding performances on behalf of all actors and actresses, including Sir Anthony Hopkins. His looks and mannerism was so perfect that I forgot at times that I was not watching "Picasso in action".

While many facts shown in this movie are based on truth, we must not forget that the script was based on the novel by Arianna Huffington, who dared (in order to make a name for herself) interpreting Picasso's life by adding a heavy feminist slant. Yes, Picasso was eccentric as an artist and as a man, he was a Spaniard, born in 1881, in the most southern region of Spain (Andalusia) which was under Arab rule for centuries. Understandably, the mentality of a male of his generation is beyond Ms. Huffingtons' comprehention. But nevertheless, even though somewhat distorted by her overly feministic interpretation, "Surviving Picasso" it is an excellent, entertaining and historically speaking, worthwhile movie.

Movie Review: Why no DVD after all these years?
Summary: 5 Stars

When week after week you see some of the slop flipped to DVD quickly, it's surprising to me this interesting film is still VHS only. I disagree with some of the other reviewers- I think Hopkins did a great job at inhabiting Picasso's spirit. Did the film "explain" him? No- but Picasso was such an elusive complicated man, it's not entirely surprising. As when Hopkins did Nixon- sure, you don't totally forget it's Anthony Hopkins- but as with his Nixon, Hopkins is mezmorizing here. Hopkins said after playing men like in Remains of the Day who were basically dead from the waist down, he relished the opportunity to play a man who was completely alive- and his joy here is apparent. Beside Hopkins, Natascha McElhone is very intriguing, as are the rest of the supporting cast and the Parisian and Spanish locations. It's a Merchant Ivory piece fer cryin out loud- you KNOW the production values are always going to be rock solid. We'd like a DVD please!

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Summary of Surviving Picasso [VHS]

After their brilliant collaborations on Howards End and The Remains of the Day, director James Ivory and Anthony Hopkins reunited (along with producer Ismail Merchant and screenwriter Ruth Prawer Jhabvala) for this controversial film about the life and loves of the great artist Pablo Picasso. Hopkins is outstanding in the title role, portraying Picasso as a brilliant, manipulative egotist who used his power over women to fuel his artistic impulse and voracious sexual appetite.

But Surviving Picasso is not intended to be a screen biography and, as many critics noted in mixed reviews, this 1996 film fails to provide any substantial insight into Picasso's complex personality. It's more about Fran?oise Gilot (Natascha McElhone), the aspiring artist who was one of the few women to "survive" Picasso's love and emerge as a stronger, more confident person with a life of her own outside of Picasso's often destructive sphere of influence. McElhone is impressive in this breakthrough role, conveying the seductive effect Picasso had on women, but also holding her own against the artist's unpredictable temperament.

Surviving Picasso was based on the unflattering book Picasso: Creator and Destroyer by Arianna Huffington, so the Merchant-Ivory team did not have the cooperation of Picasso's estate. The result is a film that shifts its focus away from the artist and onto his positive and negative effect on those who entered his inner circle. It's a fascinating portrait of a fascinating man and his equally passionate lovers, fueled by excellent performances. Even though you know you're not getting the whole story of Picasso's best and worst behavior, the movie grabs and holds your attention. --Jeff Shannon

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