1988 Movie
Dir. Bruno Nuytten · France · French
Isabelle Adjani descends into madness in this stirring biopic of the titular genius sculptor that died in obscurity
We remember the idea of the tortured artist, in part due to many works depicting life’s sorrows, but also due to the fact plenty of the greats fit this trope well. Camille Claudel is one such tortured artist, but her anguish has not led her to artistic acclaim. Instead, Isabelle Adjani’s take on the sculptor contemplates the ways her genius has gone unrecognized, in part due to her bout of insanity, but in part due to the maddening ways her art has been cut short by those that claim to love her. While it does take nearly three hours, and, like in real life, the film focuses more on her relationship with Rodin than her own art, Camille Claudel nonetheless remains a fascinating character study of a woman that just wanted to make art on her own terms.
The life of Camille Claudel, a French sculptor who becomes the apprentice of Auguste Rodin and later his lover. Her passion for her art and Rodin drive her further away from reason and rationality.
France, 1880s. Despite discouragement from her Catholic socialite family, Camille Claudel (Isabelle Adjani) nevertheless gives her all towards her passion for sculpting. Her art gets recognized by the renowned Auguste Rodin, which leads to an inspiring apprenticeship, but also a tumultuous love affair.
Camille Claudel focuses primarily on her affair with Rodin and her later institutionalization rather than on her artistry. This decision could be due to Claudel destroying many of the statues she’s created, however, because of this, the first half drags, and Claudel’s descent into madness feels more due to just romantic heartbreak rather than a forceful, tragic separation of art and artist. It also just feels like a wasted opportunity, especially since sculpting is visual, tactile, and much more interesting to depict on screen as compared to something like writing.
Isabelle Adjani is everything.
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1 nom
Isabella Endrinal is a curator at A Good Movie to Watch. She's now free from the corporate night shift. Previous articles have been published in outlets such as NANG Magazine. She's currently catching up on some classic films… if she isn't coping with the fact that the Haikyu anime will end soon.
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