Van Gogh: Brush with Genius

In 1990, one of Vincent Van Gogh's (1853-1890) paintings sold for $80 million, considerably more than the only sale Van Gogh made himself during his short life, which ended from a self-inflicted gun wound to the chest. Despite the well-known particulars of the famed Impressionist painter's life (including that famous nasty business with the severed ear), this IMAX profile is more a celebration of the artist, filming on location in Belgium and France while also magically morphing majestic landscape shots into actual works by Van Gogh. Directed by Francois Bertrand, Van Gogh: Brush with Genius—narrated by Van Gogh himself (voice of Jacques Gambun)—chronicles the artist's close relationship with his brother Theo (who supplied paint and canvases), bold embrace of bright colors, and constant struggles with depression and mental illness. Along the way, the film mixes in some dramatic re-enactments, as well as visits to the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam to see firsthand views of Van Gogh's correspondence. Extras include a “making-of” featurette, and an art slideshow. Beautifully filmed by cinematographer Vincent Mathias, this is a lovely profile of an artist who was clearly troubled but also driven to capture nature's rich pageant of colors on canvas—as he put it, “I was on this earth to paint.” Recommended. Aud: H, C, P. (R. Pitman)