Lust for Life

A straightforward biography of the brilliant but tortured artist Vincent van Gogh, from his early days in a mining village in Belgium, through romantic crises, the faithful encounter with Gaugin, his style development, and tragic death. Minnelli directs with a vivid color palette that tries to capture Van Gogh's artistic world, and Kirk Douglas' exceptional and powerful performance.. There is no sentimentality or kitsch, but fluidity and gravity that give the film a touch of intensity.