Rembrandt - 1669

Stars: Frans Stelling, Tom de Koff, Aye Fil. This boring and pretentious Dutch film relates the latter half of the master painter Rembrandt van Rijn's life (1606-1660). Following his move to Amsterdam, Rembrandt (Frans Stelling) marries Saskia who delivers a son, Titus, to him in 1641. When the propertied Saskia dies, her will stipulates that Rembrandt must not remarry if he wants to inherit her assets. The remainder of the film is built around Rembrandt's string of out-of-wedlock affairs and children, and his numerous court appearances. Rembrandt's character is almost completely non-verbal. He's nearly always either looking at a painting, looking in the mirror, or just looking like a suffering artist. In case we're not familiar with the plight of the artist (read also film director), secondary characters routinely trot out remarks about the trials and tribulations of art and artists (as if that's what the boys talked about when hoisting pints of ale at the local pub). Rather than bothering with the petty requirements of good narrative (namely, compelling characters engaged in some sort of physical and/or psychological conflict leading to a resolution), Rembrandt -1669 prefers to use the events of Rembrandt's life as mere diversions in an extended audience torture test. The 1936 Charles Laughton classic Rembrandt is vastly superior to this cud-chewing reflection on the meaning of art. Audience: ASO's (art students only).