"Klimt" is a biopic that brandishes its creative license somewhat proudly. Whether the general public is pleased by an imposition of drama that substitutes historical accuracy and artistic legacy for syphilis, and instability is questionable. Raul Ruiz's depiction of Klimt (John Malkovich) is that of the crazy, sexually relentless artist - a portrait of artists that has been popularized through cinema for quite sometime now. Whether this depiction is reverent seems to be the big concern regarding "Klimt."
The debates of art, function, design, and necessity were stimulating in the early 20th century, but modern audiences may find them "boring" or that Ruiz has made a film that consists of "Talk, talk, talk" as several IMDB commentors have complained.
"Klimt" starts out with the artist hospitalized due to syphilis. He gets a visit from the young Egon Schiele (Nikolai Kinski) who catapults Klimt into a hodgepodge of insecurities, and triumphs, some of which are fantasy and others reality. The first act comes off as overacted, and redundant. The images were somewhat sophomoric featuring broken mirrors, and cake in the face.
Then, oddly, the film becomes fairly inaccessible. Perhaps this is because the version I saw was the 91 minute rendition, and not the original which was about 30 minutes longer. Fist fights breakout without explaination, and the Sekretar (Stephen Dillane) turns out to be a figment of Klimt's imagination. We know of illegitimate children, affairs, and love. The "plot" is as dizzying as Ruiz's style of "circular cinema," which consists of him slowly rotating his subjects so that they make full-circle. At times it makes for a nice image, but at other moments it seems a bit unnecessary.
This film definitely shouldn't serve as an "Introduction to Klimt" for anyone - young or old. It's just too embedded in certain conventions that are ultimately characterless pretentions that leave one confused, and maybe a little annoyed too.
Directed by Raoul Ruiz
Opened in New York on Wednesday, October 17th, 2007.
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