DVD Review: Mystery of Picasso, The (B+)

Mystery of Picasso (1956)
Directed by Henri-Georges Clouzot
Starring Pablo Picasso
MPAA: UR
Grade: B+

Review by Scott Standish

The stunning Mystery of Picasso is without a doubt a treasure to watch, as it accurately captures the process of art creation. Director Henri-Georges Clouzot set up a camera that records Pablo Picasso's paintings as he makes them. Some are quick and to the point, where others meander around and around until Picasso paints over large portions- unveiling them to be completely different than originally intended.

Art (especially modern art of Picasso's bent) is certainly in the eye of the beholder and your feelings about the artwork here will dictate your reaction to Mystery of Picasso. The jazz music that accompanies the film seems a little dated and at times out of sync with the visuals.

The interactions with Picasso between paintings are too few (I think he's a pretty fascinating guy when he talks) and far between. I know the idea was to let Picasso paint and show the process he went through, but hey, a little more framing (no pun intended) would have made the pictures more meaningful to me. That aside, Mystery of Picasso is a very interesting look into the mind of a creative genius.

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