Paul Cezanne: A Life in Provence 1996
Distributed by Films Media Group, PO Box 2053, Princeton, New Jersey 08543-2053; 800-257-5126
Produced by Territoires Communication et Media and NHK Hi-Vision with the participation of France Telecom and France Supervision
A film by Charles de Lartigue
VHS, color, 28 min.
High School - Adult
Art
Date Entered: 11/09/2018
Reviewed by Rue Herbert, Head, Library Media Resources, University of South Florida, TampaPaul Cezanne: A Life in Provence provides a varied biographical account of the Impressionist artist Paul Cezanne. The viewer is given a tour of his life through beautiful landscapes and cityscapes, as well as through voice-over dramatized remembrances from family members, friends, and Cezanne himself. It is easy to see the effect of the cultural context within which Cezanne's paintings were created. As he states, "when color is at its richest, form is at its fullest."
Although the critics were harsh, one of Cezanne's greatest supporters was the writer Emil Zola. As a staunch defender of the Impressionist movement, Zola championed the style and its artists while remaining longtime friends with Cezanne. According to the program, their friendship ended in 1886 with the publication of Zola's novel that year, which included the character of a failed artist that Cezanne felt was based upon him.
Unlike such contemporaries as Renoir and Manet, Paul Cezanne did not achieve artistic success during his life. However, the emerging artists of the time admired his work, and was he considered to be the founder of Cubism by Picasso, Braque, and Dufy. Picasso stated "Cezanne is like a father to us all."
Visually, the program offers a wonderful tour of the French countryside and architecture, successfully blending the videotaped scenes into beautiful details of Cezanne's paintings. However, the audio quality is occasionally poor, making it difficult to understand the narrative.
Paul Cezanne: A Life in Provence provides a brief introduction to Impressionism and a more focused examination of Cezanne the artist. The program could be useful in an introductory art appreciation course, and is appropriate for high school through adult viewers. Although it provides information from interesting and original perspectives, its brevity does not allow for an in depth study of any subjects covered. Therefore, I would hesitate purchasing it for my academic library unless it was requested by faculty for specific curriculum support.