The Stories about Art Films: 21. Edvard Munch (1974), ACJ Movie Academy

Basic Info

Title: Edvard Munch

Genre: Drama

Country: Sweden, Norway

Language: English, Norwegian

Running time: 210 minutes

Release date: 1974

Staff

Director: Peter Watkins

Screenplay: Peter Watkins

Cinematography: Odd Geir Sæther

Editor: Peter Watkins

Cast

Geir Westby as Edvard Munch

Gro Fraas as Fru Heiberg

Kerstii Allum as Sophie Munch

Summary

“Edvard Munch” is a 1974 biographical film about the Norwegian Expressionist painter Edvard Munch, written and directed by English filmmaker Peter Watkins. 

Self Portrait with Skeleton Arm, Edvard Munch (1895)

The film was originally produced as a three-part miniseries co-produced by Norwegian and Swedish national television networks NRK and SVT, but was later produced in 1976 as a three-hour version and released at American theaters. 

It covers about Munch's life for about 30 years, focusing on the influences that shaped his art, especially the disease and death of his family, and the love affair with a married woman. 

The Sick Child, Edvard Munch (1907)

The film was screened at the 1976 Cannes Film Festival, but failed to enter into main competitions. 

Like Watkins' other films, this film uses a docudrama approach. The scenes of Munch's life are mostly reenacted by a large cast mostly made up of Norwegian non-professional actors, but Watkins' voiceover narration is also featured, and the characters speak directly to camera, as if they are interviewing about their own lives or their opinions about Munch. Some of the dialogue was improvised by the cast, especially in the interview section. 

In order to convey the hostile response to Munch's work frequently received during his lifetime, Watkins recruited Norwegians who genuinely disliked the paintings.

Movie Review

“Amazing”

“Painter's Biopic like no others”

“The best artist-biography I have ever seen”

“Mystical experience”

“Immersive documentary of a great artist”

“A Definitive Film of Art History”

Interesting stories about the film

1. Since its initial broadcast, the film has been a brief international success, but has not been widely distributed for many years afterward. For that reason, Watkins said TV network officials tried to suppress its distribution and prevent competition in the Cannes Film Festival. After NRK gave up rights to the film in 2002, the film could be released more widely worldwide.

2. Ingmar Bergman, a Swedish filmmaker, described the film as "work of genius."

Thank you.

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Interesting Art Stories: 2. The Scream, Edvard Munch

How are you?

From last week on every Thursday, I am introducing the stories about various artists and their paintings with the title “Interesting Art Stories”.

The 2nd story for this week is "The Scream" by Norwegian Expressionist painter Edvard Munch.

“The Scream” is a painting created by Edvard Munch, a Norwegian Expressionist painter, in 1893. 

The original title by Munch is “Der Schrei der Natur (The Scream of Nature)” in German and “Skrik” in Norwegian.

Munch recorded how this work was born in his diary, and his record made this painting more interesting.

According to his diary, Munch was walking along the street one day at sunset. Then for a moment, he stopped walking and looked at the sky. What he saw then was clouds in blood red color. Anxious and tired, he saw it and felt like the nature was screaming. 

After the incident, he expressed the entire incident on the canvas, drawing a series of “The Scream”, with clouds in blood red color that he experienced that evening.

Later, Munch described his personal anguish behind the painting, saying that he was almost mad for years at the time.

However, scholars have suggested various interpretations for the bloody red sky in this work, including the claims that it was inspired from the volcanic eruption of Krakatoa in 1883, and that it was caused by Munch's mental disorder.

In addition to the few remaining prints from a lithograph stone, Munch created two versions in paint and two in pastels. 

Oil, tempera and pastel on cardboard (1893)

Tempera on cardboard (1910)

Pastel on cardboard (1893)

Pastel on cardboard (1895)

Lithograph print (1895)

Ink drawing (Undated)

Among them, one pastel version became one of the most expensive paintings in art history when it was sold at Sotheby’s “Impressionist and Modern Art” auction on 2 May 2012 to a financier Leon Blac for about $ 120 million.

The immense popularity of "The Scream" is also evident in the fact that it has been stolen twice. 

In 1994, the version in National Gallery was stolen, but recovered a few months later. 

In the case of the Munch Museum, in 2004, the painted version of “The Scream” was stolen along with Munch's another work, “Madonna”, but both were recovered two years later.

Madonna, Version from Munch Museum, Oslo (1894)

This work also has been used in commercials and movies. 

For example, the Ghostface mask from the horror film series “Scream” is based on this work.

The mask from Scream (1996)

Thank you.

Korean Blog

ARTIST OF THE WEEK: 6. EDVARD MUNCH

Name: Edvard Munch

Born: 12 December 1863, Ådalsbruk, Løten, Norway

Died: 23 January 1944, Oslo, Norway

Nationality: Norwegian

Art Movement: Symbolism, Expressionism

Field: Painting
Influenced by: Paul Gauguin, Vincent van Gogh, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Georges Seurat, Caspar David Friedrich

Influenced on: Egon Schiele, Wassily Kandinsky, Max Beckmann, Paul Klee, Henri Matisse

Friends/Colleagues: Franz Marc

Edvard Munch was a Norwegian painter, whose best known work, “The Scream”, has become one of the most iconic images of world art. His childhood was overshadowed by illness, bereavement and the dread of inheriting a mental condition that ran in the family.

Studying at the Royal School of Art and Design in Kristiania (today’s Oslo), Munch began to live the bohemian life under the negative influence of the nihilist Hans Jæger who did urge him to paint his own emotional and psychological state, and from this situation, his distinctive style was emerged. Although his works were banned in Nazi Germany, most of them survived World War II, ensuring him a secure legacy.

FAMOUS WORKS

ALL WORKS LIST (Edvard Munch)

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Paul Gauguin

Vincent van Gogh

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec

Georges Seurat

Caspar David Friedrich

Egon Schiele

Wassily Kandinsky

ALL ARTISTS LIST

Currently, “J art”, an internet mall of “Art Collage JANG” is selling artprints of worldwide famous artists.

In relation with this sale, I will introduce one by one every week, whose artprints are on the sale list, by following categories.

1. Artist’s Bio: Introduce brief bio of selected artist

2. Famous Works: Move to the corresponding artprints in J art by clicking

3. All Works List: Move to all works of selected artist in J art by clicking

4. Related Artists: Move to the works of the artists in J art, who are related to the selected artist.

5. All Artists List: Move to the list of all artists selling artprints in J art

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