Love is the Devil: Study for a Portrait of Francis Bacon (1998)
Following a series of short films and music videos, avant-garde artist John Maybury released his first feature length film. A fantastic electronic soundtrack by Ryuichi Sakamoto accompanies this 10-year splice out of the life of Francis Bacon, one of the greatest artists of the 20th century.
The film follows George Dyer’s (Bacon’s lover) fall into nothingness, not merely subjected to but a subject of Bacon’s increasing fame. Derek Jacobi is a superb Francis Bacon along with Daniel Craig as George Dyer and Tilda Swinton as Muriel Belcher. Biographical material is taken from The Gilded Gutter Life of Francis Bacon, a biography by Daniel Farson, Bacon’s best friend.
Without the cooperation of the posthumous artist’s estate, Maybury resigned himself to brilliant recreations of Bacon’s paintings, some painted by artists, others a result of clever filming techniques. The producer of the film, Chiara Menage, has been quoted saying, “We were more interested in a film which reflected the mood and atmosphere of the paintings than a film which reflected the period.” Disappointingly, the film’s quite literal interpretation of Bacon’s work can be tedious at times and detracts from the spirit of his artistic genius.
Jennifer Dawson
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Grading
- Story C+
- Acting A-
- Visuals A-
- Originality/Innovation A-
- Enjoyability B-
- Overall B-
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