''Mapplethorpe'' is a 2018 American
biographical drama
A biographical film or biopic () is a film that dramatizes the life of an actual person or group of people. Such films show the life of a historical person and the central character's real name is used. They differ from docudrama films and histo ...
film written and directed by
Ondi Timoner
Ondi Doane Timoner is an American filmmaker and the founder and chief executive officer of Interloper Films, a production company located in Pasadena, California.
Timoner is a two-time recipient of the Sundance Film Festival's Grand Jury Pr ...
about the life of photographer
Robert Mapplethorpe
Robert Michael Mapplethorpe ( ; November 4, 1946 – March 9, 1989) was an American photographer, best known for his black-and-white photographs. His work featured an array of subjects, including celebrity portraits, male and female Nude (art), n ...
.
Shooting began on July 11, 2017, in
New York City
New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
and lasted only 19 days.
It premiered at the 2018
Tribeca Film Festival
The Tribeca Festival is an annual film festival organized by Tribeca Enterprises. It takes place each spring in New York City, showcasing a diverse selection of film, episodic, talks, music, games, art, and immersive programming. The festival ...
.
Premise
The film depicts the life of Robert Mapplethorpe, a photographer who transformed taboo subjects such as gay sex,
Satanism
Satanism refers to a group of religious, ideological, or philosophical beliefs based on Satan—particularly his worship or veneration. Because of the ties to the historical Abrahamic religious figure, Satanism—as well as other religious ...
, and
bondage into stylized black-and-white images.
Cast
Reception
''
Variety
Variety may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats
* Variety (radio)
* Variety show, in theater and television
Films
* ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont
* ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...
'' said that the film fails to capture the controversial nature of Mapplethorpe's work and portrays him as a role model who found his way into the elitist art world. Although the film is not as provocative as Mapplethorpe's photographs, it contains several hardcore scenes, and Matt Smith plays the artist's role until his death in 1989.
''
RogerEbert.com
''RogerEbert.com'' is an American film review website that archives reviews written by film critic Roger Ebert for the ''Chicago Sun-Times'' and also shares other critics' reviews and essays. The website, underwritten by the ''Chicago Sun-Times ...
'' has a 3-star rating and stated that while the biopic follows a standard format of recounting the life of Robert Mapplethorpe, it stands out in the portrayal of the relationships between artists and their creative processes. The article also praises Matt Smith's performance for its realism and unglamorous portrayal of Mapplethorpe.
''Mapplethorpe'' has received six Audience Awards at
Tribeca Film Festival
The Tribeca Festival is an annual film festival organized by Tribeca Enterprises. It takes place each spring in New York City, showcasing a diverse selection of film, episodic, talks, music, games, art, and immersive programming. The festival ...
,
Sidewalk Film Festival
The Sidewalk Film Festival is an annual film festival taking place during the last weekend in August in the Theatre District of Birmingham, Alabama, since 1999. The festival typically screens at seven venues located within downtown Birmingham, fea ...
, All Genders Lifestyles and Identities Film Festival, Key West Film Festival, Long Beach Q Film Festival, Oslo/Fusion International Film Festival, Out on Film Atlanta Film Festival, and Best LGBTQ Film at Key West Int'l Film Festival, Best Director at Long Beach Int'l Film Festival, Best Feature Film and Best Director at the Queen Palm International Film Festival and Best Feature Film and Best Director at the Hollywood Women's Film Festival.
Releases
A director's cut was released in April 2021 with "restored scenes depicting Mapplethorpe’s childhood love of photography, his embattled relationship with his father, and his lingering, ambivalent connection to the Catholic faith".
References
External links
*
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2018 films
2018 biographical drama films
2018 LGBTQ-related films
2010s American films
2010s English-language films
2010s LGBTQ-related drama films
American biographical drama films
American LGBTQ-related films
Biographical films about LGBTQ people
Biographical films about photographers
English-language biographical drama films
Films scored by Marcelo Zarvos
Films set in the 20th century
Films shot in New York City
Samuel Goldwyn Films films
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