Educational Media Reviews Online

Jesus Garces Lambert’s Caravaggio: The Soul and the Blood film is a voiceover-narrated reconstruction of Caravaggio’s life as a mix of commentary from art historians and experts, scenes of symbolic and dramatic reenactments of the artist, historical documentation, and ultrahigh 8K resolution depictions of many of his masterpieces.

Caravaggio’s works look stunning in this film. The level of detail in what can be seen and the digital reconstructions of the locations where many of the works were originally installed are impressive. However, the scenes of a contemporary portrayal of the artist by an actor (who makes his debut in this film) feel gratuitous and unnecessary. These scenes almost work to distract the viewer from realizing that there are not really any revelations about the works or the artist. The filmmaker continues the “male artist as genius” narrative and almost celebrates his torment and “bad boy” behavior. While there may still be debate about whether or not Caravaggio was homosexual, this film does not even mention the speculations, nor the oft perceived homoeroticism in his work. There are also no new theories about his death either, which continues to be debated by historians.

The reasons this film may be recommended could outweigh most of the reservations. The opportunity to view Caravaggio’s works in such an immersive way and the detail that can be seen, even on a small screen, is notable. And while there are no epiphanies about Caravaggio, the historical commentary is broad and provides useful, especially for new students, some of the connections between his personal life and his paintings. For art history students, as with all research, they would benefit from locating additional sources of information on this important Italian painter.

Awards:
Best Documentary, Golden Globes, Italy; Official Selection Beijing International Film Festival

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