''A Bigger Splash'' is a 1973 British

biographical A biography, or simply bio, is a detailed description of a person's life. It involves more than just basic facts like education, work, relationships, and death; it portrays a person's experience of these life events. Unlike a profile or curric ...

documentary film A documentary film (often described simply as a documentary) is a nonfiction Film, motion picture intended to "document reality, primarily for instruction, education or maintaining a Recorded history, historical record". The American author and ...

about

David Hockney David Hockney (born 9 July 1937) is an English Painting, painter, Drawing, draughtsman, Printmaking, printmaker, Scenic design, stage designer, and photographer. As an important contributor to the pop art movement of the 1960s, he is considere ...

's lingering breakup with his then-partner Peter Schlesinger, from 1970 to 1973. Directed by Jack Hazan and edited by David Mingay, it has music by

Patrick Gowers William Patrick Gowers (5 May 1936 – 30 December 2014) was an English composer, mainly known for his film scores. Early life and education Born in Islington, Gowers was the son of Stella Gowers (née Pelly) and Richard Gowers, a solicitor. Hi ...

. Featuring many of Hockney's circle, it includes designers Celia Birtwell and

Ossie Clark Raymond "Ossie" Clark (9 June 1942 – 6 August 1996) was a British fashion designer who was a major figure in the Swinging Sixties scene in London and the fashion industry in that era. Clark is now renowned for his vintage designs by present- ...

, artist

Patrick Procktor Patrick Procktor (12 March 1936 – 29 August 2003) was a British painter and printmaker. Early life Patrick Procktor was born in Dublin, the younger son of an oil company accountant, but moved to London when his father died in 1940. From the ...

, gallery owner

John Kasmin John Kasmin (born as John Kaye on 24 September 1934) is a British art dealer and collector, also known as "Kas". Early life John Kasmin was born John Kaye in Whitechapel, in 1934. His mother was a seamstress and his father was a factory forem ...

and museum curator

Henry Geldzahler Henry Geldzahler (July 9, 1935 – August 16, 1994) was a Belgian-born American curator of contemporary art in the late 20th century, as well as a historian and critic of modern art. He is best known for his work at the Metropolitan Museum ...

Analysis

It is a

fly-on-the-wall Fly on the wall is a style of documentary-making used in film and television production. The name derived from the idea that events are seen candidly, as a fly on a wall might see them. In the purest form of fly-on-the-wall documentary-making, ...

documentary, intercut with fictionalised and fantasy elements. It is notable for its treatment of gay themes and its insights into Hockney's life and work. The film takes its title from the 1967 painting ''

A Bigger Splash ''A Bigger Splash'' is a large pop art painting by British artist David Hockney. Measuring by , it depicts a swimming pool beside a modern house, disturbed by a large splash of water created by an unseen figure who has apparently just jumped ...

'', perhaps Hockney's best-known Californian swimming pool picture and his best-known artwork at all. Hockney was initially shocked by its intimacy but later changed his mind.

Home Video

''A Bigger Splash'' was newly restored in 4k from the original camera negative by

Metrograph Metrograph is an independent two-screen movie theater located at 7 Ludlow Street (Manhattan), Ludlow Street on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. As a theater, it focuses primarily on repertory cinema screenings as well as occasionally hosting ne ...

and released on Blu-Ray by

Kino Lorber Kino Lorber is an international film distribution company based in New York City. Founded in 1977, it was originally known as Kino International until it was acquired by and merged into Lorber HT Digital in 2009. It specializes in art film, art ho ...

in 2020.

References

External links

* * 1973 documentary films 1970s avant-garde and experimental films 1970s biographical films 1973 LGBTQ-related films 1973 films British avant-garde and experimental films British biographical films David Hockney Documentary films about gay men Documentary films about painters 1970s English-language films 1970s British films British LGBTQ-related documentary films British independent films Films scored by Patrick Gowers English-language documentary films English-language biographical films {{bio-documentary-film-stub

Analysis

Home Video

See also

References

External links