This imaginative reconstruction of David Hockney's art and love life is stunningly filmed by photographer Jack Hazan in the moods, colors, and tones of Hockney's paintings. A leader in Pop Art and the best-known British artist of his generation, Hockney achieved international success by the time he was in his mid-twenties and has since earned a reputation as a superior designer adn photographer. A Bigger Splash, which draws its title from one of Hockney's trademark paintings of a California swimming pool, follows the artist's break-up with fellow painter Peter Schlesinger. The former lovers star as themselves, as do many of the subjects of Hockney's paintings. Offering a swirling view of the 1970s London art scene--its art dealers, fashion trends, and gay bars -this semi-fictitious documentary captures the essence of the artist and the era.
Spotlight customer reviews:
Customer Rating: Summary: A Docu-Drama of A BIGGER SPLASH Comment: A Bigger Splash
This is one of those very rare docu-dramas that came out of the experimental 70s in the film making industry that really left the Movie World with a real Classic. The director actually followed the artist and associates around for 31/2yrs, filming them. They then took this and blended some fictional dramatic framework to create this Classic film. It must be noted here that the explicit love scene in this film created total chaotic controversy whenever shown in its time!! The artist was very surprised and somewhat shocked by the overall movie! A STORY CAN BE LARGER THAN LIFE!!! Customer Rating: Summary: The Splash Could Have Been Bigger Comment: Jack Hazan followed the artist David Hockney around from 1971 to 1973 filming this quasi-documentary about him. A very young and slim Mr. Hockney-- he would have been 34 I believe in 1971-- comes across as witty and interesting. Some parts of this 90 minute film are quite wonderful, particularly where the artist talks about his art or when we actually see him painting. There are also fascinating scenes where the subjects of his paintings actually merge into their life-sized portraits as life imitates art. The footage of the swimming pools looks like the paintings that figure prominently in the movie, particularly "Portrait of an Artist (Pool with Two Figures)." There is much made of the bright blue color that Mr. Hockey seems to be so fond of, complementing his work as well. Images are often repeated, giving the film a pleasing symmetry.
Not everything works so well, however. The director would have us believe that Mr. Hockney is having difficulty completing a painting because he has just broken up with its subject and his lover, Peter Schlesinger. The artist, who according to the accompanying notes to the DVD, was upset when he saw the finished documentary, indicated that the breakup was not a factor in his slow work on the painting. Also often the people just engage in dull conversation about not much in particular. Some of the dialogue could have been cut without hurting the finished film at all. Much is made about whether Mr. Hockey will return to California or to New York, et cetera, et cetera. One person repeats two or three times that "when a love goes wrong, there are more than two people who suffer." Okay. Then there is a rather explicit sex scene between two men that does not add much to the overall excellence of the movie.
This film will appeal most to hardcore fans, particularly the footage that gives a glimpse into Hockney's creative process. I came away from the movie agreeing with the extremely private novelist Eudora Welty, who believed passionately that one should concentrate on the work of the artist, rather than so much the details of his or her life.
In London we meet his friends - Celia Birtwell, the elegantly stylishly beautiful model Hockney used repeatedly, dress designer Ossie Clark, confidant Mo McDermott, and patron Henry Geldzahler - each of whom Hockney painted and drew. We watch as Hockney visits the galleries and admires works of his friends, how he paints in his studio, how he relates to his gallerists (like Paul Kasmin), and how he perceives men and other artists.
Peter Schlesinger figures prominently in the film with many episodes of Peter's swimming in the pools of the people Hockney would eventually immortalize. He is a fine presence and carries his silent role well - almost appearing as a ghost muse that keeps Hockney focused on his now infamous swimming pool paintings.
The magic of this film, for those to whom Hockney is a well known and important painter, is the visual recreation of the paintings that have made him so famous: we are allowed to see Celia and her husband with white cat in context with the canvas, the view of Peter staring into the pool at an under water swimmer, the woman and her animal heads who appears in another of Hockney's famous paintings at poolside, etc. This kind of cinematic background is valuable now and will prove invaluable to the archives of David Hockney. For those people this is a must-see film, despite its meandering technique and choppy editing. For others, it may seem too self-indulgent. Grady Harp, August 06
