Louise Bourgeois: The Spider, the Mistress and the Tangerine

Made over the course of 14 years (1993-2007), filmmakers Marion Cajori and Amei Wallach's documentary Louise Bourgeois: The Spider, the Mistress and the Tangerine premiered in 2008, following a major retrospective of then 96-year-old sculptress Bourgeois' work at the Guggenheim Museum. A fascinating film that captures Bourgeois' creative process through a combination of extended interviews with its irascible subject and close consideration of individual pieces (including the spiders that have become a motif), this is also a revealing biography that draws on archival material, interviews with her children and assistant, observations from experts, and Bourgeois' own pointed recollections, to uncover the wellsprings of her artistic vision. Of central importance is Bourgeois' relationship with her father, whose condescending attitude and long involvement with a mistress point to the psychological subtext of her sculpture (in one scene, Bourgeois carefully traces a pattern on a tangerine, follows the lines with a knife to remove the rind, and reveals the core: a phallic symbol that reflects the erotic character of many of her works). Brimful of haunting imagery and incisive revelations, this film was the last work of co-director Cajori (who died in 2006 before it was completed) and represents a fitting tribute to her artistry as well as Bourgeois'. DVD extras include 45 minutes of additional footage and interviews. Essential for art history collections, but also sure to appeal to general documentary fans, this is highly recommended. Aud: C, P. (F. Swietek)