Lust for Life Rating: Sorry, this product is not currently available. Cast: Kirk Douglas Anthony Quinn George Kennedy Lionel Jeffries Complete Cast (11 total)

Lust for Life Reviews

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Compelling visuals in a film about an artist.
(1) The most amazing aspect of this movie is that Director Minnelli makes it look like a Van Gogh painting. (2) The musical score depicts the anguish of Van Gogh's mental state. (3) Anthony Quinn deserved the Academy Award he won for his supporting role. (4) Kirk Douglas is appropriately tortured as Van Gogh; this acting is among his best work. (5) Despite the earlier reviewer's criticism of Douglas's American accent, the mix of accents was not a problem as 19th Century France invited a melting pot of artists. I admit Vincent van Gogh did not speak with an American accent; however, his brother Theo, did not speak with a British accent, either. They were Belgian and spoke French.

Tortured Genius
I would wager that this is really the best work Vincente Minnelli ever did, in spite of his reputation as the famous director of MGM Judy Garland musicals. "Lust for Life" has a power and pathos to it that is seldom matched in biographical movies. The story of Vincent Van Gogh's struggle to paint and find companionship is beautifully brought to life here. And of course, that is due to superstar Kirk Douglas' intensity as the tortured artist. The scenes he plays with Anthony Quinn's Paul Gaugin are so touching, as even Gaugin (a very hard person) must acknowledge how sad Vincent's longing for a friend is.Highlighting the film also are the color depictions of many of Van Gogh's canvases, raw in color and emotion, a testament to a man who didn't know how to do anything by halves, but gave his whole heart and soul to everything he did and everyone he loved, whether reciprocated or not.

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