Barnes & Noble

Really big canvases and even bigger alcohol binges -- that's the career of American painter Jackson Pollock in a nutshell. This biographical film, directed by and starring actor Ed Harris (whose performance earned an Academy Award nod) places these facets of the abstract expressionist's life on extravagant display. Harris impresses in his debut behind the camera, chronicling Pollock's early days as a starving artist in New York's Greenwich Village, his dazzling ascent to the heights of art world stardom, his ongoing struggles with alcoholism and depression, and finally his death in a car accident in 1956. Harris studied actual footage of Pollack at work on his famous "drip" paintings, and the scenes in which the artist creates his legendary canvases are the movie's most visually compelling. At the center of the story is Pollock's stormy relationship with his strong-willed wife, the painter Lee Krasner, who, despite her own talent as an artist, devoted her energies to her husband's career rather than her own. Marcia Gay Harden's rock-solid performance as Krasner earned her the Best Supporting Actress Oscar, but ultimately Pollock is Harris's show. He bears a striking resemblance to the real Pollock, and his virile physical presence dominates the screen, conveying stiff suffering early in Pollock's career, wiry masculinity at the height of his success, and, finally, paunchy inebriation during the painter's last days. The result is a wrenching portrait of a tormented genius whose quest for greatness came at a heavy price. Gregory Baird

All Movie Guide

Artist Jackson Pollock revolutionized American painting in the 1940's with his exciting abstract canvases that used dripped and splattered paint in a manner at once excitingly physical and structurally intelligent. While Pollock became a heroic figure in the art world, his private life was nothing to envy, and this biography looks at both his professional triumphs and personal tragedies. In 1941, Pollock (Ed Harris) was a bitter and struggling painter when he met Lee Krasner (Marcia Gay Harden), a fellow artist with whom he was appearing in a joint gallery show. Krasner was intrigued by Pollock, and immediately sensed the importance of his work; they quickly became lovers, and as Krasner realized his superior talent, she began devoting herself to promoting Pollock's work. When Peggy Guggenheim (Amy Madigan) agreed to present a show of Pollock's paintings at her Art of This Century gallery, his name was made, and a profile in Life magazine solidified his reputation as one of the art world's most important figures. But success did not bring Pollock peace of mind; while he long had a taste for alcohol, his new fame sent his drinking out of control, and his infidelity with numerous women (including Guggenheim) eventually destroyed his relationship with Krasner. Pollock was the first feature directed by actor Ed Harris, who also plays the title role; the cast also includes Val Kilmer as artist Willem de Kooning and Jennifer Connelly as "Ruth Kligman," one of Pollock's lovers. Mark Deming

Entertainment Weekly

Ed Harris has always been a great actor in search of a role that could match his haunted intensity, and in Pollock ... he finds it. Owen Gleiberman

Boston Globe

Like its subject, Pollock is a messy creation, but one whose depth of commitment and high attack keeps it on track. Jay Carr

Product Details

• UPC: 043396064546
• Source: SONY PICTURES
• Region Code: 1
• Aspect Ratio: Theatre Wide-Screen (1.85.1)
• Presentation: Wide Screen
• Language: English
• Subtitles: English, Français, Español
• Time: 2:02:00
• Sales Rank: 15,365

This DVD is also available as part of a box set:

• Capote / Pollock

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