Pollock
Directed by Ed Harris
Ed Harris makes his directing debut with this intense film about the distressing life of American artist, Jackson Pollock. Pollock rose to fame during the 1940’s and is most famous for his abstract expressionist “drip” or “splatter” paintings. Harris stars as Pollock and his enormous dedication to portraying the artist accurately pays off. An astronomical amount of preparation was put into the part, with Harris even learning to replicate Pollock’s painting style.
The film begins with Pollock in 1941 — a moody alcoholic, unsuccessful and struggling to survive in the art world. He then rises to fame with the help of painter, Lee Krasner, who he later marries. The relationship between Pollock and Krasner features heavily in this film and we see Krasner devote her life to Pollock’s work rather than her own. The couple move to Springs where Pollock experiences his prime as an artist and actually encounters a period of happiness (!!). But his paranoia and fear of criticism see his return to alcoholism, which leads to his tragic end in 1956.
The strength of this film lies in the acting. Marcia Gay Harden is brilliant as Lee Krasner and well deserving of her Oscar for best supporting actress. Her accent may irritate at times, but it is an exact imitation of Krasner. Those who have seen actual footage of Pollock and Krasner will be able to appreciate the uncanny likeness that the actors achieve. Ed Harris’ performance is exceptional and it is easy to forget that it is Harris on the screen and not Pollock himself, particularly in the scenes that show paintings being created.
All of the events in the film are based on fact and the script includes dialog from actual interviews with Jackson Pollock, making use of many of his more memorable quotes. All of the paintings in the film are recreations of real works and those who are familiar with Pollock will recognise them. One of the highlights is the reconstruction of a short film made of Pollock during the 1950’s. Like most things in this film, it is accurate to the tiniest detail.
Pollock should be particularly enjoyable to those with prior knowledge of the artist but it provides an excellent insight to those who are not yet familiar with his life and work.
Bronwen
