Loving Vincent is the most beautiful cinematic piece I have ever seen. I am still mind-blown by it.
What makes this movie so special is that it is animated, but not in the traditional way. The animation was made entirely using oil paintings, that replicate Van Gogh’s work. These paintings were made by over a hundred artists. The entire movie is a Van Gogh painting brought to life. It is spectacular.
The story itself is inspired by true events. There is still a fictitious element to it, since Van Gogh’s death is still a mystery. It follows a young man who is on a quest to deliver Van Gogh’s final letter to his brother, Theo. Van Gogh has already been dead for over a year, and everyone seems to have a different recollection as to what happened to the man they called crazy and tormented for years. When the young man finds out that Theo died a few months before, he sets out to find someone worthy enough to receive that letter and to find out the truth surrounding Van Gogh’s apparent suicide.
The film is emotional from beginning to end. Pretty much everyone is aware of Van Gogh’s tragic life and even more tragic ending, so you are not going in for a feel-good movie about art.
The film is so visually stunning that my only complaint is the fact that I would focus on the beauty of the scene. As I watched it, I wondered how in the world they managed to do it–not paying attention to what they were saying. Because of my inattention, I would get confused sometimes. What I absolutely loved were the transitions between scenes; they were done with brushstrokes, and it would be as if the painting was being created in front of us. Another detail I loved was that the movie jumps between flashbacks and present day. The flashbacks were black and white paintings, and the present day ones were colorful Van Gogh paintings.
I was very emotional throughout the entire event, especially when we saw the painting of the church, The Church at Auvers. This painting holds a special place in my heart since it was the featured painting in the Doctor Who episode “Vincent and the Doctor”. Needless to say, I teared up quite a lot.
It was truly a magical experience and a very innovative take on animation. All of the artists that worked to bring those scenes to life deserve all the praise and success in the world. I can only hope this film gets (at least!) an Academy Award nomination.