REVIEW: ‘The Mystery of Picasso’
Photo: Pablo Picasso, perhaps the most famous artist of the 20th century, is the subject of The Mystery of Picasso. Photo courtesy of Film Forum PR site / Provided with permission.
Henri-Georges Clouzot gave audiences quite the treat with his 1956 documentary, The Mystery of Picasso, which is playing in a new 4K restoration at the Film Forum in New York City. Pablo Picasso, perhaps the most famous artist of the 20th century, is seen creating a variety of works, each more interesting than the last. The result is a rare glimpse into the mind of a master.
Clouzot presents Picasso’s art-making by having the movie screen serve as a blank canvas. Then, using animation techniques, the strokes of Picasso’s brushes and instruments are applied. By having each of the curves and lines appear on the screen one by one, the viewer is able to appreciate Picasso’s creation, his uncanny ability to find something special within blankness.
Most of the pieces that the master creates are sketches that are seemingly put together on a whim. However, as the 78-minute film progresses, Clouzot is able to document increasingly more complex and abstract pieces from Picasso. By the end, the audience is seeing works of art that could rank among the painter’s best (of course, personal taste may dictate otherwise).
The director is able to add the drama of anticipation with a wonderful score by Georges Auric. The animating visuals and orchestral music are able to combine into one artful display of creativity unleashed.
Sometimes one wants to yell through the movie screen and tell Picasso to stop because he often achieves a certain sense of beauty with his images, and then his heavy strokes continue, occasionally obliterating his earlier work. However, as Picasso says in the film, he is after a deeper exploration, a journey beneath the surface. His images, as a result, are not intended to be ordinary or pretty. He wants originality, it would seem.
The Mystery of Picasso is a modern-art lesson that is thankfully preserved on film. The movie allows appreciators to look behind the curtain — but don’t expect too many answers. Simply be amazed.
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
The Mystery of Picasso (1956), directed by Henri-Georges Clouzot, is currently playing in a new 4K restoration at the Film Forum in New York City. Click here for more information and tickets. Rating: 
