JeanMichel Basquiat Radiant Child

Posted In: Exit Through The Gift Shop

Ashli Stvrestil says...

I saw this film today and it was the most brillant body of work that I've seen in quite some time. It just built on all the things that I already knew about Jean-Michel. The interviews were very insightful and moving. Beauty, Art, Tragedy, and Fame all wrapped into one. I loved it from start to finish. They say nobody loves a genius child but if you are a fan of Basquiat or just curious about his life in any way...do not hesitate to purchase this film.

Posted on April 17, 2011

Suzann Howorth says...

We saw Tamra Davis' Basquiat documentary at the 2010 Dallas International Film Festival.For those of us who've seen and enjoyed Julian Schnabel's very good 1996 film Basquiat (featuring an outstanding turn by Jeffrey Wright in the title role), Davis' work is a good companion piece.For those of you who've not seen Schnabel's film, "The Radiant Child" serves as a good intro to both Basquiat's work and to the man who laid behind the ever-growing myth.



Davis was a friend and contemporary of Jean-Michel Basquiat.She had the stroke of fortune (and the insight) to record a series of interviews with him at the height of his art-world popularity.Though the production value of those interviews is relatively poor, they're fascinating and serve as the core of the film.They pierce the aura of Basquiat the artist and growing legend to reveal his inherent fragility, his soft-spoken nature and the increasing burden of living up to the 'Basquiat' mystique/brand he created.



The other interviews painstakingly compiled by Davis add flavor and flesh out the re-telling, but it's Basquiat's own words and haunting image that will stick with you.I especially liked Basquiat's comment that not a single line or stroke in his works was by accident.This is backed up by one of the interviewees who noted the immediate appeal of Basquiat's work: that he had a unique hand, i.e., one which crafted a line that could only be produced by him.Davis also does a great job producing tales and evidence of the artist's prodigious work ethic and output.In his comet-like career, he produced over 1,500 pieces of work.Davis captures compelling tales of friends and clients showing up at his apartment and finding every surface - walls, refrigerator, other appliances - filled with imagery from his fervent brain.

Posted on April 18, 2011

Agnus Otsman says...

This is possibly the best graffiti movie ever made and the reissue brings this film into the circle of the greats. From the unforgettable quotes (with his Lucille Ball hairdo) to the great footage of the tags and whole cars this 2 DVD set is worth the cash ten times over buy it and watch it and learn.

Posted on April 18, 2011

Donella Bicker says...

I attended a screening of this film in Los Angeles, and was mesmerized throughout. Having grown up in NY during the 70s and 80s, the nostalgia factor alone made it interesting. I was a kid then, but I still knew who Basquiat was. It was hard to miss him, all the press and acclaim he was getting. But, as such a young person, I was unable to grasp the impact he was having on the art world at the time, and could have no foresight as to how he would affect it in the days to come. This film provided plenty of that, and acts as an exhibition in itself, as the viewer is able to see so many of the artist's works in one sitting. It was, for this casual fan, a joy to behold, and clearly a labor of love by Ms. Davis. As informative as I found the film to be about the man and the artist, I saw a larger impact in the rise of the contemporary street artist. If Basquiat was a somewhat tortured soul, and struggled with his fame and success once it started to happen, one must wonder what he would think of his modern contemporaries such as Shepherd Fairey and Banksy, who are clearly in his debt. Perhaps, viewed in parallel with EXIT THROUGH THE GIFT SHOP, we can appreciate him and the film even more.

I loved this film, and hearing some of the punk/dance/hip hop of the era was an added treat. In so many ways, and, as with many other films created of that era, NYC plays a unique character, and maybe we lost that character along with great artists such as the radiant child, Basquiat. I'm now going to work on saving a couple of million dollars to buy one of his paintings.

Posted on April 19, 2011

Phyllis Wetterer says...

"Jean-Michael Basquiat: The Radiant Child" has the look of a scrappy documentary you might see on PBS' "Independent Lens." Sit down interviews, good archival footage, nice use of music and so on. But the more you watch - beyond being tortured by the truly horrific sound editing in this film - the more you have to wonder, is this really the truth or a tepid whitewash? After watching the film all the way through, I'd go 60/40 with tepid whitewash tipping the balance. The most serious problem with this film is that major parts of Basquiat's life that likely informed his art - his serious drug addiction which killed him at 27, the racism he experienced in the 80s art world,his clear-eyed and brazen ambition, his bi-sexuality, and his tortured relationship with his father - are given short shrift. While Basquiat may have been a "radiant child," he could also be a thin-skinned brat who alienated many with his unreasonable and likely drug-distorted demands. Most in the art world are willing to forgive that because of his formidable talent and the powerful humanity that he bought to his art. But I wish the filmmaker would have been more embracing of the complexity of his life and push harder for more truthful answers from its subjects, many of whom come of as evasive and even slightly dishonest at times. By the end of this film I could not help but feel that everyone - including the filmmaker - was hiding something for fear that the truth about Jean-Michel Basquiat might not reflect well on him. But that's the deal with documentary. It's not always pretty but that doesn't mean you don't address basic truths openly and directly. Even with these complaints, however, this film is still worth seeing because it's likely the only one that will feature those who knew him well.

Posted on April 19, 2011

Tonda Tagami says...

This, admittedly, is not the place to go for a balanced, critical look at Jean-Michel Basquiat.



Tamra Davis, the director, was a friend of his and she's made a movie about her friend.



I'm personally perfectly fine with that -- there are books and there are articles and there are plenty of other sources you can draw from if you want hard criticism, of either the man's life or his work.



What "The Radiant Child" does (on the other hand) is present Basquiat's life and work from a familiar perspective, in a conducive context. While I personally would like at some point to see the drawings and paintings in a slower, more reflective framework, I really dug how Davis incorporates well-chosen music with art, a giddy montage, and wraps it around a narrative of his life as told by his cohorts.



The movie also drops you into a scene -- specifically downtown, early 80s -- that is depicted with authority and with an overall vibe I could buy. It feels right, it sounds right, it knows the turf.



If you want a critical evaluation of how good he actually was or wasn't, this isn't the place to start. But it's a good beginner's sampler. And it's perfect for people who have seen Schnabel's "Basquiat" and want more details, want more background, want more of his true voice, want some sense of scope that biopics usually can't muster.

Posted on April 19, 2011

Vashti Mclearan says...

Man, this brought back so many memories when i was growing up.I remember seeing this movie for the first time around 1983 and as a breaker and DJ, i never had the talent to do such great art like these guys did.This is THE best documentary for graf artists mainly cause it was filmed during that time era.Style Wars for Grafitti Artists, Freshest Kids for Bboys, Scratch for DJ's, and man i dont know about the Rap game, they gots to change that crap up with all that no talent, played out gangster BS!

Posted on April 20, 2011

Adela Saa says...

I've seen the movie and i must says its ***** cool, it rock's...

my opinion it diserves 100 stars not 5 :) . Soundtrack is cool... there are explained stuff... And the styles and anything is cool! I rate u to see this movie, probably many people say because its made in '82 its not that good.... Well IT IS! Btw my favorite artist is "Seen".

Posted on April 22, 2011

Carmelia Eisenhaver says...

I first saw this on PBS when I was in grade school and it blew my mind. I remember seeing these kids in the inner city showing off their art-forms with pride and the admiration and respect they received from the other kids was something I really dreamed of having one day. The doc is well done, and is an excellent display of the graffiti (hip hop) scene close to the time of it's birth. Even if you are not or never have been into graffiti, even if you think it's vandalism, at least you can get a little glimpse of why graffiti had the impact it did on so many kids in the inner cities and all over..

Posted on April 22, 2011

Hattie Niethamer says...

I've been waiting for a more comprehensive account of Basquiat's life and real footage from lost interviews. This documentary is a true time capsule.I loved every second of it. Kudos to Tamra for paying homage to her friend.I'm happy to have this in my collection.Basquiat's work should continue to be celebrated for years to come.

Posted on April 24, 2011