Rent Vincent and Theo (1990)

More Mental Illness than Art - Vincent and Theo review by CV

Having watched other films on the subject of Van Gogh, and naturally his brother, Theo, I’m not sure that all these views from different angles has given a clearer survey of their lives and relationship. This film attempts to observe and record the decline of Van Gogh’s mental illness, a bipolar disorder, we would say today, paralleled by the very different troubles of his brother, Theo, who is financially supporting him and doing his best to promote his art as a dealer. The depiction is chaotic, messy and ultimately desolate and there is not enough concentration on their respective artistic achievements, only really appreciated posthumously, to redeem the sadness of their lives. A tragedy with no cathartic ending.

Nevertheless the visual picture is splendidly set and the portrayal of Van Gogh himself highly imaginative. There is a blend of English actors playing the main roles with French and Dutch actors speaking with strong accents. The social mores and culture of the age are colourfully depicted and the background music is also highly original. If you felt like I did at the end, watch “Loving Vincent” for a very different treatment.