StThe life of revered Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh was showcased through the film ‘lust for life’. The film was screened on Thursday at Bharat Bhavan under a five day film festival.
lust for life released in 1956 is based on the 1934 novel of the same name by Irving Stone and adapted by Norman Corwin.
It was directed by Vincente Minnelli and produced by John Houseman. The film stars Kirk Douglas as Van Gogh, James Donald as his brother Theo.
Vincent has trained to be a minister, like his father, but the church authorities find him unsuitable. He pleads with them to be allowed some position and they place him in a very poor mining community. Here he becomes deeply absorbed in the daily poverty and begins sketching daily life.
He also gets rejected by a woman he obsessively loves rejects Van Gogh because of his inability to support himself financially. A friend gives him paint and artist materials and encourages him to paint and he heads to Paris. Here he takes up with a prostitute who eventually also leaves because he is too poor. His passion then turns fully to painting, which he pursues while agonizing that his vision exceeds his ability to execute. His brother, Theo van Gogh, provides financial and moral support.
Vincent begins experiencing hallucinations and voluntarily commits himself to a mental institution. He signs himself out, and with Theo's help returns to a rural area to resume painting. Out painting cornfields he is frustrated by the crows and ultimately shoots himself in despair of never being able to put what he sees on canvas. As a result, he dies a few days after shooting himself.