Vincent considers who he'd cast as himself.
Painters don’t seem like the most fascinating subjects for the big screen- plenty of internalised angst and thinking about colours, not so much action – but there have been several high profile exceptions. Ed Harris’ POLLACK and Selma Hayek’s FRIDA received critical acclaim and Oscar nominations, though didn’t exactly start a wave of painter biopics. Perhaps that will change, though, with an upcoming film about arguably the craziest (or most famously crazy) painter of them all, Vincent Van Gogh.
The film, creatively titled “Van Gogh”, is currently coming together under the guidance of Kalliope Films, producers of HANSEL AND GRETEL IN 3D. It will take the audience on a journey through the important locations of Van Gogh’s life, including France, The Netherlands and the UK. Kalliope’s CEO, Kira Madallo Sesay, says ‘We aim to tell his fascinating life’s story with accuracy and fairness’, and is clearly passionate about the project, producing as well as writing the script. The issue of accuracy is one biopics frequently content with, but Kalliope have an ace up their sleeve in Dr Jean Marc Boulon, head of the asylum in which Van Gogh was institutionalised. His mental health expertise, combined with the knowledge of a number of Van Gogh experts, should be able to paint a full picture of a fascinating character.
The film does not currently have a director, but were it down to me I’d love to see Terrence Malick (BADLANDS) or Paul Thomas Anderson (THERE WILL BE BLOOD) tackle this material. Both have captured extreme personalities and obsession in their films, and know how to make a shot look nice. As for the star, based on looks alone, Michael Fassbender (SHAME) is likely to be the hot pick, and they could certainly do a lot worse. If pulled off right, a character like Van Gogh is likely to lead to potential Oscar glory. Hopefully the film will do the man justice.
