La Belle Noiseuse Movie Review 1990

The connections between art and life are explored in this beautiful (and long) drama. Creatively crippled, an aging painter has left unfinished a masterpiece work, entitled "La Belle Noiseuse," for ten years. When an admiring younger artist and his beautiful lover arrive for a visit, the painter is newly inspired by the young woman and makes her the model and muse for his masterwork. The film details every nuance of the work from the first to the last brushstroke and the battle of wills between artist and model over the symbiotic creative process. Based on a novella by Honore Balzac. French with subtitles. "Divertimento" is actually a recut and shortened version (126 minutes) of the original film.

Distribution

Ingram Entertainment Inc., 2 Ingram Blvd., La Vergne, TN 37086-7006, Phone: (615)287-4000, Toll-free: 800-621-1333, URL: http://www.ingramentertainment.com

Available on VHS
Running time 240 minutes.
Originally from French.

Cast and Crew

Genres

Art & Artists

Screenplay

Jacques Rivette, Christine Laurent, Pascal Bonitzer

Cast

Michel Piccoli, Emmanuelle Beart, Jane Birkin, David Bursztein, Marianne (Cuau) Denicourt

Cinematography

William Lubtchansky

Director

Jacques Rivette

Awards

Cannes 1991: Grand Jury Prize; L.A. Film Critics 1991: Foreign Film.