From Canvas to Camera: Art's Influence on Cinema

- Sapphire Riggs 

Cinema is the greatest artistic phenomenon. The sheer beauty of grand, 

immersive landscapes, the grand scale of Hollywood blockbuster films, and the deep and complicated characters we meet along the way are all components of an intriguing and inspiring art form. It goes without saying, films are one of our mainstream entertainment sources. However, do we ever wonder how the most beautiful and iconic scenes were created? I have the answer, art.

Historical art pieces made by some of the greatest and controversial artists remain relevant to this day. Their metaphors for the underbelly of life, their spectacular use of colour and their legacy prevailed through cinema. You may not even realise just how many of the most renowned movie scenes were stemmed from these artists. Let me unveil to you the significance of a directors' choice when using art to design their scenes.

Gustav Klimt's 1907-1908 painting, ‘The Kiss' inspired the incredible and breathtaking scene in Shutter Island where Teddy’s (Leonardo Decaprio) wife (Michelle Williams) crumbles into ash and vanishes from his dream. If you haven't already watched this masterpiece, I couldn't recommend it more. It's ‘one of the greats’ made by ‘the great’. 

So what is this painting and why is it so impactful and significant? Well, this painting uses intricate patterns and fluorescent gold leafs to depict a couple in a peaceful and loving embrace. It creates a sense of comfort for the viewer. For me, ‘The Kiss’ creates this euphoric feeling of the ‘ultimate kiss’ in a romance trope. Its warm colour reflects the couple's happiness and security together. Contrasting to Scorsese's clever use of cool tones to create a morbidly heartbreaking moment instead of a scornful, dreamlike one. 

This tragically beautiful scene in Shutter Island evokes a sense of losing what once was, and is a metaphor of the despair of love. Mirroring the tragedy of throwing yourself in the deep end. Instead of engaging in this warm embrace for tranquility, the embrace is used as a desperate attempt to hold on to past memories and people who have since left our lives. Paired with the psychological themes of the film, Scorsese gives this inspiration a completely contrasting meaning to the painting. It's truly beautiful and symbolic. You can see this for yourself here.

Fransico Goya's piece ‘Saturn eating his son’ is one of the most disturbing paintings of his career, revealing his descent into madness. During the Pale Man sequence in ‘Pans Labyrinth’, The Pale man eats the head of a fairy in the same way as the painting, paying homage to Goya's work. This painting of Saturn, who is a figure in Greek mythology, was a part of a series called ‘The Black Paintings'. These were 80 etchings that were brutal interpretations of issues in Spain, such as the medical profession, hangings and class systems. They were powerful, and raw. He became deeply depressed doing these paintings, from a fear of old age and a fear of going mad. 

So why did Del Toro choose to pay homage to this painting? This moment in the sequence represents established evil in a fascist society. (Pans Labyrinth is set in Spain during the ‘peace years’ after the civil war, under Fansisco Franco’s dictatorship.) The visual imagery is a literal depiction of fascist ideology and actions; The rich have more power over the poor and helpless, and can literally destroy them due to their superiority. On a deeper level, the fact that the Pale man personifies the mythical figure Saturn shows the constant relevance of the themes within the film; fear, oppression and demolition, as these issues have existed since the beginning of time in mythology. Del Toro's marvelous choice of using Goya, an artist who went mad due to studying the oppression in Spain, used his art to symbolize the power struggle in Spain is truly incredible. 

The sequence can be found here.

To conclude, whilst not every film uses art as its muse, the pieces of cinema created from art are deeper than what meets the eye. The physical representations of these paintings symbolise profound meanings that are increasingly relevant in modern society.  

‘It ain’t me babe!’- Bob Dylan 

Scandalous and witty, biography films are the latest genre reaching watchers across continents. Often worshipping what can only be described as mundane life, these films act as Hollywood documentaries of events that are plainly not true. They morbidly dissect and examine the glory of ones we may have called stars. These biographies either end in a biopsy or an autopsy. 

The genre itself is broad and covers a multitude of films with different themes and subjects, from true crime to politics to music, the genre only has one condition: it must be based on some truth. How much truth, you ask? Well, this is subjective. It could be only a date or a name or a place. This borderline deception in itself is what makes these films unreliable, as audiences cannot decipher between truth and untruth; take what they are given at face value. This is how Hollywood creates false, tabloid worthy media. 

The genesis of this craze lies in the 2018 film ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’, the highest grossing musical biopic of all time. Despite the box office success many critics were sceptical of Rami Malek preformance creating a stereotype of Mercury as a dramatic and flamboyant individual. Discrepancies such as the timing of Mercury's solo career which allegedly ended the band and his HIV diagnosis were also errors critics noted. From this, the film ended its cinematic journey as one of the lowest rated films to be awarded a Golden Globe. 

The nature of biographical films themselves stem from what can be considered the first biopic, the 1959 American film ‘The Diary of Anne Frank’. The film was heralded at its release and in the next year won three Academy Awards and a Golden Globe. Although the film attracts wide, positive critical attention, it is merely a sensationalised version of a real life story that should be respected. Throughout the film Anne is given a romantic interest with Peter Van Daan, another one of the inhabitants of the family's annex, with the only purpose of this being to simply attract action and excitement, to create a ‘plot’ out of an atrocity that ended the lives of so many. This morally grey cinema surely hasn’t continued?

The likes of gangsta films became popular, even though it is not strictly obvious that they are based on true stories. Scorsese, the godfather of gangster biographies, has made many films with varying audience responses. His most revered ‘The Wolf of Wall Street’ and ‘Goodfellas’ are prime examples of how biopics can give the wrong message. ’Goodfellas’ is regarded as one of the most influential films of the 20th century and subjects audiences to witnessing casual violence and crime, anything but a role model film for society. Available in 45 countries its influence is vast. ‘The Wolf of Wall Street’ centered around Jordan Belfort, a sleazy stock broker whose backwards attitudes to money, women and crime admittedly make an entertaining story. The problem lies in the fact these events are more than a story and the real Jordan Belfort now makes a living re-telling his story through podcasts and social media, providing a comfortable living to a criminal. When questioned about the principles of the film DiCaprio, who depicts Belfort, simply replied ‘it does not glorify a lifestyle’ but ironically in 2015 the film was investigated due to the financing of the film coming from corrupt sources that were allegedly stolen from a Malaysian arts grant. Further proof that films such as these promote unlawful and antisocial behaviour.

Moreover, the tales of celebrities being depicted are not always glamorous. Below the glitter life, out of the public eye, life is much darker. Take the example of Amy Winehouse, a young vulnerable woman who died too young due to the disease of addiction. In the 2024 biopic about her ‘Back to Black’, her personal life is inspected and re-told without any regard for her privacy or reputation. Again the film was quickly discussed due to its continuity errors. Like fighting a battle against an opponent that has the advantage, the truth cannot be discovered as Amy isn’t here to defend herself.

Perhaps we don't want to give artists the platform to express themselves. ‘Better man’ is a feature film by Robbie Williams about Robbie Williams. Throughout the two hours and fifteen minutes of the film, Williams depicts himself as a misunderstood, victimised, CGI monkey, making snide remarks about his other band members and odes to his greatness. The film itself is almost narcissistic and could be argued as something that the world would be better off without, a box office failure which only evidences that there aren't many people who actually care to know about Williams and his dramatic retelling of his adequate life. This chain of events will no doubt be used to bolster his career rather than as a form of art dedicated to extricating truth.  

One of the only biopics that can gain genuine credit is Theordore Melfi’s ‘Hidden Figures’, a factual story of the three African American women who pioneered the mathematics of the space race but have since been erased due to their gender and race. Released in a pivotal time for social justice and acceptance, the film uplifts those who have been silenced. Shining a light on discrimination balancing enjoyable cinematography and an accurate plot. This is the only way history should be re-written. 

Where is this genre going in the future? How far can Hollywood push the meaning of truth?

‘Micheal’ is set to release next year, telling the story of Micheal Jackson. This only begs the question of how Hollywood will choose to depict him. The star's life is anything but straightforward, riddled with accusations and scandal the beloved star left behind. Can we keep justifying the actions of celebrities simply because of their fame?

Moreover, By using actors such as Timothee Chalamet and Austin Butler to play these roles we are disposing of what made the person unique. They are one of a kind, dictated by their own will, the captain of their own ship. Their legacy should be what they left behind rather than what society makes of them now.

Then again they say that mimicary is the finest form of flattery.