A pair of documentary films opening this Friday offer illuminating, intimate portraits of the lives of two extraordinary artists—the late queer British filmmaker Derek Jarman and the rock 'n roll poet Patti Smith. The films, Derek and Patti Smith: Dream of Life, are as individual as their subjects but also detail the strong artistic and personal bond between a gay man and his female muse. In Jarman's case it was Swinton, who first came to public attention appearing in his films. Smith was the muse of photographer Robert Mapplethorpe, whose iconic photographs of her helped define her as the high priestess of rock 'n roll punk. Both men died of AIDS and each receives moving tributes from his surviving collaborators.
In the case of Jarman, Swinton, along with director Isaac Julien, has crafted a feature-length eulogy written and spoken by her. Jarman was one of the first British artists to publicly announce his HIV status. He fought for gay rights in England both on the picket line and through his provocative films and videos. Swinton is sometimes cool and poetic as she wanders around the landmarks that were important to the relationship, and her voice is heard on the soundtrack addressing her close friend. Jarman, who began as an art director on films, was influenced by artist David Hockney and underground gay filmmaker Kenneth Anger, and was soon making his own sensual experimental shorts that featured beautiful gay men in sexual situations. Music videos for the Smiths, the Pet Shop Boys ( especially 'It's a Sin,' which we see Jarman directing ) and other '80s groups helped put Jarman on the map and fund his own projects.
Derek is a beautiful elegy to a great 'gay artist'—two words that are inextricably linked when applied to Jarman. Like Oscar Wilde, Christopher Isherwood, Gertrude Stein, et al., his inherent gay sensibility informs his art; the work virtually drowns in it, and gay culture—as well as the world at large—was greatly enriched by the splendor of his vision.
Derek opens exclusively at the Gene Siskel Film Center. Three of Jarman's films—Caravaggio, Wittgenstein and Blue—are also being shown. Showtimes and further information are at www.siskelfilmcenter.com .
Photographer Robert Mapplethorpe was another artist whose gay sensibility informed his work, and he is given his due by close friend and onetime roommate Patti Smith in director Steven Sebring's Patti Smith: Dream of Life. The film, the product of a 11-year collaboration between director and subject, is a beautiful encapsulation of Smith's extraordinary journey from her working-class New Jersey upbringing to rock icon ( a term she says makes her feel embarrassed ) . Smith herself recites the personal and creative landmarks of her life in the first four minutes of the film.
With these hallmarks out of the way, the movie settles into a dreamy rhythm. Sebring's footage ( both in black-and-white and color, intermingled with vintage material ) follows Smith as she preps for concerts; interacts with her kids and famous friends like Michael Stipe and Flea; performs in Japan and other places before adoring audiences; and revisits places of importance in her life—the punk club CBGB, Coney Island, her home in Detroit and the gravesites of influential poets Blake and Rimbaud. A visit with her parents in suburban New Jersey is particularly illuminating.
Smith lovingly shows off her treasures to the camera—such as a handmade tambourine made for her by Mapplethorpe, a favorite childhood dress and an antique guitar that was a gift from onetime lover Sam Shepard ( who is seen dueting with her on the instrument ) . At one point, she pours out bits of Mapplethorpe's remains kept in a tiny Persian urn, noting that he is always with her. Smith's observations about life, art and politics are filled with insight and, not surprisingly, everything she says has a poetic ring to it. Throughout, she recites her strangely plain but beautiful poems ( they match her singing voice ) in voiceover.
The influence of Manhattan on Smith—the artist's mecca—in light of what she has created cannot be underestimated, as she herself acknowledges at the outset. ( It has had a similar influence on artists as varied as Warhol and Nyro. ) A self-trained artist from a working-class background, the lack of creative boundaries the glittering city offered, along with kindred spirits, obviously inspired her. Sebring's greatest decision is to let the footage relate its own story. There are no talking heads, no one explaining 'Patti is this' or 'Patti was that.' Slowly, a mesmerizing, complex portrait emerges.
The road an artist travels is not an easy one, and Sebring and his subject often skirt the day-to-day realities ( e.g., Smith's financial problems ) and skips over her many personal tragedies. Instead, Patti Smith: Dream of Life focuses on the positive and profound rewards of a life immersed in the creation of art—an exhilarating, thoughtful choice by the filmmaker, and a gift for both subject and audience. It will run at the Music Box Theatre; www.musicboxtheatre.com .
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