This film wasn’t what I expected. I’ve never been a fan of Christopher Reeve until now. The title of this film is deceiving. Reeve does more than narrate, he shares the spotlight with Van Gogh’s paintings.

Reeve sports a mustache but looks so young. I tried to find out how old he was when he made this film, VINCENT A DUTCHMAN, but had no luck. Needless to say, he is very handsome, more so than in any of his Superman films.

This is a powerful program of only 30 minutes. Reeve’s gaze into the camera lens is unsettling to say the least. He stands comfortably outdoors telling the story of Vincent Van Gogh’s life in a warm, gentle voice. You know that this film is supposed to be about Van Gogh, but is it? Could Reeve have performed better in any other work? This natural presentation didn’t come through for me in any of his Superman films which seem now beneath his talents.

Reeve projects a commanding appearance that is riveting. How could someone so alive be dead? How ironic that both artist Van Gogh and actor/artist Reeve left us at such youthful ages: Van Gogh at 37; Reeve at 52.

I couldn’t help but think about the similarities. Van Gogh suffered great physical pain in his lifetime as did Reeve. Van Gogh’s brother, Theo died six months after Van Gogh. Theo was his strongest supporter. Reeve’s wife, Dana Reeve was Reeve’s strongest supporter and champion for his causes.  She died in 2006, two years after Reeve.

Van Gogh seemed to live two lives: one of an artist with inspiring talent and one of debilitating illness, suffering epileptic seizures. Ironically, the same can be said of Reeves in his role as Superman: one of the mild-mannered reporter, Clark Kent, and one of the man with superpowers that brings the word talent to another level.

That they both sympathized with the common man is another striking similarity.

This film is one of the Kultur series’ best. For the most part, the background music stayed in the background.

Some of the paintings shown in this film I had never seen before. I particularly liked the one called The Gothic Church with it’s dark blue sky.

As much loved as Van Gogh is to many people, for this viewer, Christopher Reeve overshadowed the painter’s works. This is a film for both lovers of Van Gogh and also Christopher Reeve.

Kultur produced another Van Gogh film titled Post-Impressionists: Van Gogh.  Most of the paintings differ in the Dutchman film from the Post-Impressionists film. The history is similar but for film footage of the actual places where Van Gogh and Gauguin had their scuffle. There are no other performers in this film. Frankly, any addition like an art historian, would only detract from it.

Lean-‘n-Mean

Recommended: Yes

Viewing Format: DVD