Basquiat (1996)

User Rating:

6.7/10   

Director:

Julian Schnabel

Writers:

Lech Majewski (story) and
John F. Bowe (short story) ...

Release Date:

9 August 1996 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Drama

Tagline:

In 1981, A Nineteen-Year-Old Unknown Graffiti Writer Took The New York Art World By Storm. The Rest Is Art History.

Plot:

Basquiat tells the story of the meteoric rise of youthful artist Jean-Michel Basquiat. Starting out as a street artist...

Plot Keywords:

Artist | Street Artist | Friendship | Warhol | Art

Awards:

2 wins & 3 nominations

Cast

Jeffrey Wright	...	Jean Michel Basquiat
Michael Wincott	...	Rene Ricard
Benicio Del Toro	...	Benny Dalmau
Claire Forlani	...	Gina Cardinale
David Bowie	...	Andy Warhol
Dennis Hopper	...	Bruno Bischofberger
Gary Oldman	...	Albert Milo
Christopher Walken	...	The Interviewer
Willem Dafoe	...	The Electrician
Jean-Claude La Marre	...	Shenge (as Jean Claude LaMarre)
Parker Posey	...	Mary Boone
Elina Löwensohn	...	Annina Nosei
Paul Bartel	...	Henry Geldzahler
Courtney Love	...	Big Pink
Tatum O'Neal	...	Cynthia Kruger

Also Known As:

Build a Fort, Set It on Fire

MPAA:

Rated R for drug use and strong language.

Runtime:

108 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Spanish

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Canada:18A (Ontario) | South Korea:18 | Australia:MA | Finland:K-16 | Norway:15 | Portugal:M/16 | Spain:13 | Sweden:11 | UK:15 | USA:R | Germany:12 | Iceland:L

Filming Locations:

New York, USA

Company:

Eleventh Street Production

Trivia:

David Bowie and Gary Oldman have both played Pontius Pilate. Bowie played the role in The Last Temptation of Christ (1988), and Oldman played him in Jesus (1999) (TV).

Goofs:

Continuity: When Basquiat is painting on the floor in his studio, part of the painting in the upper-left hand corner disappears and reappears.

Quotes:

Andy Warhol: I don't like beer.

Movie Connections:

Features New York Beat Movie (1981)

Soundtrack:

A Small Plot of Land

This movie is impressionist art on film. Julian Schnabel proves to be as talented behind the lens as he is "on canvas."

If you love art, this movie is definitely for you. If character development and good writing are important elements in your movie selections, definitely add this one to your list of "must sees." However, if you typically only prefer major "blockbuster hits," you may want to forego it.

Intricately performed and written, this film is "art-house" & "independent" at it's very finest. David Bowie is perfection as Jean Michel Basquiat's friend and mentor, Andy Warhol. Michael Wincott sheds his usual grovel-voiced tough guy persona to play Basquiat's first flamboyantly feminine art dealer. Jeffrey Wright's brilliant performance as the complex Basquiat received a nomination for "Best Debut Performance," and Benecio Del Toro won "Best Supporting Male Performance" at the 1997 Independent Spirit Awards. Even the minor characters (Gary Oldman, Christopher Walken, Dennis Hopper, Parker Posey, Willem Dafoe) add colorful performances to Julian Schnabel's first "canvas on film." --J.B.