In her historically accurate biopic Artemisia, writer-director Agnès Merlet
presents a vivid account of the early life of Artemisia Gentileschi (1593-1653),
who is renowned as the first important woman artist in western art. The style of
this singular artist is evoked in the film's striking cinematography,
which shifts from the supremely melancholic
to the wildly optimistic, in sympathy with the changes in mood of the film
and its characters.
Despite the masterful camera work and very commendable acting, the film is let down by
some dreadful moments of sentimentality and self-importance. The rape
scene - the film's linchpin and raison d'être - fails to evoke any kind of response
and is poorly executed, whilst Artemesia's subsequent reaction to the apparently life-changing
event appears shallow and unconvincing. Indeed, the power of this part of this film
is effectively neutered by the ambiguity in Artemisia's relationship with her teacher,
being neither naïve girlish fancy or full-blown love. From that point on, the
film has no momentum, little conviction, and rolls on towards its conclusion without any
sense of purpose. Doubly disappointing when the film starts so well, and pretends
to offer so much.
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Film Synopsis
Italy in the early 1600s. Artemisia Gentileschi is the 17-year-old
daughter of a well-known painter and shows something of her father's aptitude
for art. The society in which she lives does not encourage her to be
an artist, but her father Orazio trains her as best he can to follow in his
footsteps. An edict that prevents women from painting nudes frustrates
Artemisia's artistic development and this causes her to nurture an obsession
for male anatomy. Her father's collaborator Agostino Tassi adopts her
as his pupil and through his influence Artemisia acquires a love of painting
out of doors. All too soon, the relationship between master and pupil
develops into carnal passion. The spectacle of Tassi making love to
his daughter incenses Orazio and he arranges for his former friend to be
tried for rape...
In the 1910s, French cinema led the way with a new industry which actively encouraged innovation. From the serials of Louis Feuillade to the first auteur pieces of Abel Gance, this decade is rich in cinematic marvels.