I am SO
glad I caught this one. In an awards season characterised by biopics, Mr Turner
should have been in its (his) element but it was curiously passed by… The one
mention I remember of it was from several different critics tearing out their hair
when the BAFTA nominations came out this year about Timothy Spall’s perceived
snub in the Best Actor category. I say perceived simply because I had not
perceived it myself at the time. It then got nominated for four Oscars, in
fields such as Cinematography, production design, Costume Design and Original
Score. Now these categories are more than worthy – not least because the film
is a visual feast more than worthy of an artist such as Turner. But they are
not the categories that get the massive headlines and the endless discussions
on various film related talk shows that emerge around the time… Anyway, as you
will have noticed, as the DVDs hit the market here in the UK, I have been
scrambling to catch up and keep up with cinematic output. I am rather pleased
my progress so far. So, long story short I got round to perceiving this little
number. Consider this film a belated rant about why this film didn’t get the
attention it deserved – it has the makings of a huge masterpiece.
This is the
life story of British painter J.M.W. Turner (Timothy Spall). We specifically
focus on the last 25 years of the great painter’s life. He is now a celebrated painter,
but his celebrity has come at a price. And the price has a lot to do with
Turner’s own rather difficult character. While Turner is personable (if a
little eccentric) in public, in his private life Turner’s relationships are
marked by his cantankerous nature – and more often than not breakdowns and
arguments. Leigh takes a sensitive look at what makes Turner tick as an artist,
but also, what gives him peace…
Leigh’s
Turner is a complex and fascinating character. Clearly a very accomplished
artist, Turner has revolutionary ideas about painting (I know. It’s a little
hard to imagine a household name like Turner as a revolutionary painter whose
works weren’t always well received, but there you go… ). He experiments with
his art, he is in the heart of “the in crowd” in the artistic circles of his
time, he is an active (if not always easy to get on with) member of the academy
and his works are almost a given in the Great Exhibitions over the years. He is
without doubt a businessman and makes his living, in the true sense, with his painting
and with his business sense.
What Turner
cannot seem to take too much of is the personal relationships this kind of life
requires. For most of his life the only people who can truly tolerate him are
his doting father and their long-suffering maid Hannah Danby (admirably portrayed
by Dorothy Atkinson – don’t you be fooled, she is more than just “the help”).
He is estranged from his wife and his grown children, has few friends outside
of business circles and is all in all quite difficult to get on with if you
were to approach him as he seems to have a minimal interest on getting on well
with you if it was not for business reasons. However there is more to Turner
than a cantankerous recluse from the world. What he actually wants is to live a
simple life, by the sea, make sketches and have the love of an honest woman (as
opposed to a “London lady”). Spall handles this duality of Turner’s character
quite beautifully. He is unapologetically terse and sometimes quite difficult
to watch throughout, and yet ably portrays the softer side of Turner’s
character that is harder to come by, barely seen but still very, very much present
– and of course a great part of his art and his work.
Leigh has,
it is quite clear, paid close attention to the fact that this is a film about a
painter. Turner’s muted tones and colour scheme dominate the film, as does a
lack of close-ups or extreme close-ups, thus the film mirrors the style of the painter
it depicts throughout which brings us one
step closer to the inner world of the artist.
The honesty
of the physical depiction also rather beautifully continues through into the way
the entire story is told. You will look in vain for the clear blacks and whites
of normal popular and mainstream films. Every single character is beautifully
developed and come together with extraordinary harmony to tell the story of a
rather extraordinary man.
Of course
when the awards seasons come around we look for something a tad more grandiose.
We need jazz hands and technical gimmicks, a classic true story of extraordinary
people overcoming difficulties or, perhaps, a rather more dramatic insight into
debilitating illness (now I come to think of it there is a little sub-theme of
disease running through this awards season too, no…). The British costume drama
is seen as just the tiniest bit twee as a genre. But if the genre is considered
twee, this does not mean that the combination of a visionary director, talented
cast but perhaps more important than all of them the enigmatic and
extraordinary artist J. M.W. Turner at the centre of it all make for a truly
extraordinary film in this case…
Kayıtlar
Hiç yorum yok:
Yorum Gönder