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Portrait of the Artist (Le Dos Rouge)

The 2014 French drama film, "Portrait of the Artist" (Le Dos Rouge), directed by Antoine Barraud, features Bertrand Bonello in the lead role.[1] The film delves into the world of a filmmaker grappling with the concept of monstrosity for his next project.[2]

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The plot revolves around a filmmaker's obsession with finding a painting that embodies the power and beauty of monsters, which will be central to his film.[2] The filmmaker, played by Bonello, is also dealing with a growing red mark on his back, a physical manifestation of his preoccupation.[8] The film explores themes of art, perception, and the uncanny, with the filmmaker visiting museums and consulting with an art historian.[3]

The film's cast includes Jeanne Balibar, Géraldine Pailhas, Joana Preiss, Pascal Greggory, Nicolas Maury, Valerie Dreville, Marta Hoskins, Barbet Schroeder, Charlotte Rampling, Isild Le Besco, and Alex Descas.[1] The film has a running time of 127 minutes.[3] The film was co-produced by the Centre Pompidou.[3] The film is in French with English subtitles.[5] The film premiered at the Rendez-Vous with French Cinema in 2015.[5]

The film's narrative structure is described as an "implacably French blend of intellectualism, carnality and oblique storytelling" [3]. The film's exploration of monstrousness is a central theme, with the filmmaker's obsession manifesting physically.[3] The film also includes scenes referencing other films, such as "Vertigo" [6] and the work of Diane Arbus.[3] The film is a multi-layered mise en abyme, creating a fictional portrait of an aesthete.[4]

The film's exploration of the monstrous is a central theme, with the filmmaker's obsession manifesting physically.[3] The film also includes scenes referencing other films, such as "Vertigo" [6] and the work of Diane Arbus.[3] The film is a multi-layered mise en abyme, creating a fictional portrait of an aesthete.[4] The film is described as a "spellbinding" mixture of body horror and character study.[5]

The film's central narrative revolves around a filmmaker's quest to find a painting that embodies monstrosity, which will serve as the focal point of his next film, while simultaneously dealing with a mysterious and growing red mark on his back.[2] [8]

Authoritative Sources

  1. Felperin, Leslie (24 April 2015). "'Portrait of the Artist' ('Le Dos Rouge'): Film Review". [The Hollywood Reporter]↩
  2. A famous filmmaker works on his next film, which will focus on monstrosity. [IMDb]↩
  3. Felperin, Leslie (24 April 2015). "'Portrait of the Artist' ('Le Dos Rouge'): Film Review". [The Hollywood Reporter]↩
  4. A Chinese aphorism says that although the poet dreams he is a butterfly, it is perhaps instead the butterfly that dreams it has become a poet. [Berlinale]↩
  5. Portrait of the Artist (Le dos rouge). [IFC Center]↩
  6. Bonello wanted to tell Hitchcock’s Vertigo (1958) from the perspective of Madeleine. [Le Cinéma Club]↩
  7. A famous filmmaker works on his next film, which will focus on monstrosity. [Letterboxd]↩
  8. A famous filmmaker works on his next film, which will focus on monstrosity. [Dailymotion]↩

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