When Henri-Georges Clouzot began working on The Mystery of Picasso in 1955, the year before its release, the writer-director was riding high after the back-to-back release of The Wages of Fear and Diabolique, two thrillers that caused such a sensation they inspired several remakes, including William Friedkin's 1977 Sorcerer. Clouzot's 74-year-old friend Pablo Picasso, meanwhile, was in the throes of a passionate affair with 28-year-old beauty Jacqueline Roque whose brunette image was starting to appear in many of his paintings.
For his visually striking documentary, Clouzot tapped Jean Renoir's nephew Claude Renoir (The River) as a cinematographer and Georges Auric (La Belle et la Bête) as a composer. Together, they crafted a uniquely thrilling work in which the master of one genre celebrates the work of another. Clouzot starts by explaining in rapid-fire voiceover that it's possible to depict the creation of art in a way that can't be duplicated with a novel or a play. He proceeds to film the creation of 20 original artworks by Picasso. He does so by setting up a spot-lit studio in the center of a darkened sound stage.
While Picasso draws and paints on paper affixed to a glass easel, Renoir shoots from the other side. The results play like an animated film as each piece begins as a white rectangle on which lines and shapes grow, morph, and fill up the entire frame before a wipe leads to a new white rectangle. All the while Auric and a full orchestra roam through a range of stirring compositions meant to reflect the images on the screen.
In most cases, Picasso lays down a few black lines before adding washes of color, filling in the background, and, in some cases, painting over and repainting troublesome parts. Towards the end, the screen expands to CinemaScope as the pieces become more detailed and textural with collage elements. Though most lean towards the abstract, it's still possible to make out distinct figures, not least because he repeats a few, like the small man who serves as his stand-in, the tall man representing his friend Matisse, nude figure models, and symbols of his Spanish heritage, from bulls and picadors to the spectators who cheer them on.
Clouzot, ever-present cigar in hand, breaks the fourth wall early on by chatting with Picasso and Renoir about the project. He asks the artist if he's growing tired, but the septuagenarian, clad in sporty tank top and shorts, insists he's having the time of his life. In truth, the shoot wasn't as breezy as it looks; an effect Clouzot generated with time-lapse photography that allowed Picasso to create fully-formed works in minutes that actually took hours.
Kino Lorber's release preserves the extra features from Milestone's 2011 DVD: an interview with Maya Picasso, her father's assistant during the shoot, and two commentary tracks from art world speakers, including Peggy Parsons from the National Gallery of Art, who covers every aspect of the production. A strong recommendation for art history and classic film collections.