Review – Lust for Life

This filmed version of Irving Stone’s biography of Vincent Van Gogh is both far less grandiose and far more depressing than the tale of Michelangelo painting of the ceiling of the Sistene Chapel. Kirk Douglas plays the tormented painter, receiving the role based either on his superficial resemblance to the artist or to his eager desire to overact every single scene. A lot of the drama focuses on the relationship between Van Gogh and Gaugin (Anthony Quinn), which means that much of the dialogue is devoted to arguments about the finer points of painting. The life story of anyone this crazy should have made a much more interesting movie. Mildly amusing