In 1981, a nineteen-year-old unknown graffiti writer took the New York art world by storm. The rest is art history.
"Jeffrey Wright is absolutely brilliant in the role of Jean-Michel Basquiat, the young American painter whose brief life spanned the explosion of money and fame that colored the art world in the 1980s… It's a terrific film, a remarkable first feature by Julian Schnabel… and the performances by Jeffrey Wright, so tender, so restrained, so charismatic, is a great piece of work, certainly worthy of Oscar consideration… it's one of the year's best movies. I know I'll see it again very soon… two thumbs up, way up for Basquiat…" Gene Siskel
(74 votes)
2.
In his writing and directorial debut, Julian Schnabel's film Basquiat depicts the life of graffiti artist Jean-Michel Basquiat, a.k.a. SAMO, and the turbulent period from the late 1970s to 1988, as his life was catapulted into fame and notoriety. As Jean-Michel's work gained favorable attention from New York's elite art community, he went from a street punk living in a cardboard box to the first black artist to succeed in the all-white dominated art world. Tony Award-winning actor Jeffrey Wright does a brilliant job portraying a man tortured by self-doubt and thoughts of suicide, struggling to survive and be acknowledged as an artist. The film's use of dreamlike imagery and rhythmic pace tells the story from the perspective of Jean-Michel's eyes as he manages to "float" through relationships and gallery showings, until his impending death in 1988 from a heroin overdose. Brimming with talent, the film also stars David Bowie as pop-artist Andy Warhol, Michael Wincott as poet Rene Ricard, and many others, including Gary Oldman, Benicio del Toro, Dennis Hopper, and Courtney Love. --Michele Goodson
(78 votes)
3.
At age 19, Jean Michel Basquiat was a poor, struggling graffiti artist. Eight years later, he was one of the most famous, acclaimed painters in the world -- and dead of a heroin overdose.
"Basquiat" details the tumultuous years in between, concentrating on his meteoric rise within Soho's trendy art world. The charismatic but self-destructive Basquiat had his share of personal demons, including his mother's mental illness, and his hatred of middle-class society... which courted and exploited him. The young artist's heroin addiction eventually led to his death, extinguishing a great talent in the process.
(81 votes)
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