The latest from the famed Merchant / Ivory production team, "Surviving Picasso" deals with the tumultuous 10-year relationship between the renowned artist and Francoise Gilot, the only woman to break the emotional stronghold that the legendary figure had on the opposite sex.
The film begins just after the German occupation of France during World War II, when an aging Picasso (Anthony Hopkins) meets Francoise (Natascha McElhone), a university student who paints in her spare time. After inviting her to his studio to see his work, it isn't long before Francoise moves in with Picasso, whose popularity and ego are at an all-time high due to his crafty resistance to the Nazi regime. Slowly, she is exposed to the artist's unique world, full of women who, although forsaken by Pablo, remain disturbingly devoted.
The strong-willed Francoise is determined not to suffer the same fate. But after bearing two of his children, her dependence on him increases until she is nearly in the same situation as the others. The rest of the movie deals with Francoise's struggle to continue to love the artist - without letting him completely wreck her life.
Perhaps remaining true to real life, "Surviving Picasso" paints a rather unflattering portrait of one of the true giants of the art world. The artist is presented as a misogynous, game-playing monster, willing to ruin the lives of others for his own personal pleasure.
Essentially, all the women that Picasso becomes involved with are enslaved. Initially, he invites them into his life, and then he destroys their ties with the outside world until all they have left is him. Once this has happened, he tosses them aside, changing women about as often as he changes the style of his art.
Yet Picasso's former lovers remain hopelessly loyal to him. Although he is extremely demanding of them, and he rarely offers them any compensation (financially or otherwise) in return, they are willing to do anything for him. Tragically, they live only to serve him.
The focus on Picasso's relationships proves to be fascinating, and this is a major strength of the film. But the movie's incomplete presentation of this theme prevents it from really setting itself apart from other biographical works. Unfortunately, director James Ivory never offers us the opportunity to understand Picasso. We never get a real sense of the manipulative artist. The questions concerning why he hates everyone so much and why he has such a strong hold over women are left unanswered.
Hopkins' Picasso has many of the same attributes as Richard Nixon, the last historical figure played by the Academy Award-winning actor. His Picasso, however, does not have the complexity of Nixon's character. Moreover, Hopkins takes quite a while to really get into his role. But when he does, he is particularly effective, especially at displaying Picasso's mood swings.
Francoise is a well-developed character, whose resiliency serves as the perfect weapon to combat Picasso's manipulative malice. McElhone, despite an occasional poor line reading, is able to capture the essence of a woman who is very much in love with Picasso; at the same time, though, she understands that she must keep her distance in order to survive.
As one should expect from the heralded Merchant / Ivory team, "Surviving Picasso" is beautifully photographed, with colorful costumes and paintings, and a combination of lush, energetic backdrops with dark, morose sets.
Yet in the end, what separates other Merchant / Ivory successes like "A Room With a View," "Howards End" and "The Remains of the Day" from this latest effort is an overall lack of passion. Unable to completely get at the soul of the main character, "Surviving Picasso" functions more as a well-filmed documentary of the relationship between Picasso and Francoise Gilot, and less as an intense, emotional historical drama.
When he's not accepting Oscars, Anthony Hopkins woos.