There are many filmmakers who partake in what I like to call "Shot-porn"; always aspiring to reach some sort of cinematographic high with single overly workshopped shots. Even worse so, the films these directors produce, appear to have been conceptualised first with a couple shots in mind, yet no sense of macro-style, of a theme, of a true aesthetic-narrative link.
Greenaway is definitely not that sort of filmmaker. His style is palpable here, yes, but even more importantly, you immediately get a sense that this is someone who has studied the subject matter both narratively and aesthetically, and who has made a conscious effort to stylistically give life to a great artist's work.
I love that he avoids the classic biopic tropes, and instead, adds a new, semi-fictional chapter, to one of the true great painters, that succeeds in telling the audience more about the subject, than any run-of-the-mill biopic would.
There are many filmmakers who partake in what I like to call "Shot-porn"; always aspiring to reach some sort of cinematographic high with single overly workshopped shots. Even worse so, the films these directors produce, appear to have been conceptualised first with a couple shots in mind, yet no sense of macro-style, of a theme, of a true aesthetic-narrative link.
Greenaway is definitely not that sort of filmmaker. His style is palpable here, yes, but even more importantly, you immediately get a sense that this is someone who has studied the subject matter both narratively and aesthetically, and who has made a conscious effort to stylistically give life to a great artist's work.
I love that he avoids the classic biopic tropes, and instead, adds a new, semi-fictional chapter, to one of the true great painters, that succeeds in telling the audience more about the subject, than any run-of-the-mill biopic would.
