Surviving Picasso

Surviving Picasso is a 1996 American biographical drama film directed by James Ivory and starring Anthony Hopkins as the famous painter Pablo Picasso. The film was produced by Ismail Merchant and David L. Wolper. The screenplay by Ruth Prawer Jhabvala was loosely based on a 1988 biography called Picasso: Creator and Destroyer by Arianna Stassinopoulos Huffington. The movie explores the life of Picasso, one of the most influential artists of the 20th century, showing both his creative genius and the challenges he faced. Through this film, viewers can learn about Picasso's artistic journey and the world around him during his time.

Plot

The film tells the story of a young artist named Françoise Gilot who meets the famous painter Pablo Picasso in Paris during a time when the city was under Nazi-occupied control. Picasso invites her to visit his home, and she decides to become a painter, even though her father wants her to become a lawyer. Her father is upset and beats her, but Picasso supports her dream.

As their relationship grows, Françoise and Picasso develop a romantic connection and have two children together. However, Picasso often behaves selfishly and doesn't always think about others' feelings. He treats people poorly, including those who have worked for him for a long time. Despite these issues, Françoise stays with him until she finally leaves because of his cold behavior and his new relationship with another woman named Jacqueline Roque. The film also shows other important women in Picasso's life.

Cast

This film features many talented actors. Anthony Hopkins plays the famous painter Pablo Picasso. Other actors include Natascha McElhone as Françoise Gilot, Julianne Moore as Dora Maar, and Joss Ackland as Henri Matisse. The cast also includes Dennis Boutsikaris, Peter Eyre, Peter Gerety, Susannah Harker, Jane Lapotaire, Joseph Maher, Bob Peck, Joan Plowright, Diane Venora, Dominic West, and Laura Aikman.

Production

The film Surviving Picasso took a long time to make because Francoise Gilot, who was once married to the artist Pablo Picasso, did not want to help. She was worried her children would be upset, and she also did not like the script. Because of this, the filmmakers could not use real Picasso paintings or her book about her life with him. Instead, they made fake paintings and used a biography written by Arianna Stassinopoulos as their main source.

The movie was filmed in Paris and the South of France. Some scenes were shot in the real place where Picasso had his studio, while other scenes were made at Pinewood Studios. The filmmakers also shot scenes showing important moments from Paris's history at the same time as another movie they were making.

Release

After the film was finished, Warner Brothers decided to distribute it.

The film was planned to have its first showing at the Venice Film Festival, but it was pulled out without a clear reason. Françoise Gilot, who did not support the film, said she was happy about this. Director James Ivory later explained that they had to turn down the festival because it would have conflicted with a special event for their work at Carnegie Hall, and that other stories about the situation were just rumors. The movie was finally shown in Britain on Boxing Day in 1996.

Reception

Critical response

James Ivory made the film alongside Jefferson in Paris, and both received very negative reviews. On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, only 32% of critics liked the movie, with an average score of 5.1 out of 10. Metacritic gave it a score of 55 out of 100, meaning mixed reviews.

Some critics liked Anthony Hopkins’ performance as Picasso, saying he showed both the artist’s charm and his selfish side. Others felt the movie didn’t show enough of Picasso’s art or explained why women stayed with him. The film made $2 million in the United States and Canada, far less than its $16 million budget.