Photograph: Publicity image
There’s a steepled-fingers argument to be had about whether live-event or gallery movies can ever compare to the thrill of seeing things for real and, furthermore, whether they undermine the in-person culture economy. The counter-argument, of course, is that these event films extend an opera/play/show’s reach and give access to an audience who would otherwise never get to experience it, even at one remove. Well, this is something the estimable Exhibition on Screen brand has no doubt had to confront over the years; by combining insightful critical commentary as well as suitably graceful in-gallery camerawork, their films operate as a watchable counterpoint to the live experience – as well as, more often than not, moving beyond a single-exhibition focus, like their recent overview of contemporary Japanese art.
All this is a little more moot, however, with their new film, which releases in cinemas while its parent show, the London National Gallery’s winter blockbuster Van Gogh: Poets & Lovers, still has weeks to run. Presumably the National’s powers-that-be see no threat to visitor numbers; rather like the FA Cup final, a landmark Van Gogh exhibition is surely big enough to ensure a sellout whatever the ancillary coverage. It’s also been getting rave reviews – including five stars from both the Guardian and the Observer’s critics – which will no doubt supercharge this film’s chances in cinemas.
Whatever the background issues, the film does an admirable job in getting across the exhibition’s main point: that Van Gogh was far from the frenzied wildman of poular repute, but rather a complex, thoughtful figure who pored over every detail of his work. The copious curatorial comment underscores all this, even if it isn’t quite so convincing when it comes to the headline-friendly show title; you can feel a little strain when the speakers try to explain quite why “poets” and “lovers” are so central to the work on show, which is drawn from Van Gogh’s brief, dramatic stay in the south of France, in and out of hospital. Moreover, the film is a bit more of a walkthrough of this specific show than other entries in the Exhibition on Screen strand; understandable, perhaps, as the gallery is quietly revelling in reuniting its Sunflowers with those of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, as well as the 1889 picture La Berceuse (The Lullaby) with which they apparently form a triptych. No matter; the foundational works are so strong that this film can’t be less than fascinating.
• Van Gogh: Poets & Lovers is in UK cinemas from 6 November.
