Brush with Genius
Van Gogh
Review by Ross Anthony

Interestingly enough, Vincent Van Gogh tells his own story. That is, the voice over text has been scripted as if it were written by Van Gogh. The narrator reads it in the first person, as if he were the spirit of Van Gogh reflecting on his work both past and present (our present). It's eccentric and quirky; I like it. That said, since Vincent was a prolific letter-writer, I would have also liked many more actual quotes (though some are included here).

You might be expecting a veritable slide show of high quality images of his paintings. I was. And while the film certainly hosts such images, they serve as accents to a story that centers around two modern day people: an art historian who is tasked with making sense of Vincent's hundreds of letters, and a filmmaker who is passionate about making a film about the famous artist. The Vincent narrator is omniscient and introduces us to both of these intense souls.

Vincent's circumstances and thoughts about his art are quite fascinating, as well as the more sensational ear-incident and suicide. This production left me wanting to know more especially about his relationship with his elder brother Theo who died less than a year after Vincent's passing. The paintings, too, were only a tease; I'm left wanting to spend more time with them. Not just a happy outcome for the Van Gogh Museum in Holland, but also for any teacher showing this production to students. I enjoyed being left wanting.

-- Books by Author/Illustrator Ross Anthony --


  • Van Gogh: Brush with Genius. Copyright © 2009.
  • Produced by Camera Lucida and La Geode at MacGillivray Freeman Films

Grade..........................B+ (2.5/4)


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Copyright © 1998-2023 Ross Anthony, Author - Speaker - Solo World Circumnavigator In addition to reviewing films and interviewing celebs at HollywoodReportCard.com, traveling the world, composing great music, motivational speaking, Mr. Anthony also runs his own publishing company in the Los Angeles area. While traversing the circumference of the planet writing books and shooting documentaries, Mr. Anthony has taught, presented for, worked &/or played with locals in over 30 countries & 100 cities (Nairobi to Nagasaki). He's bungee-jumped from a bridge near Victoria Falls, wrestled with lions in Zimbabwe, crashed a Vespa off a high mountain road in Taiwan, and ridden a dirt bike across the States (Washington State to Washington DC). To get signed books ("Rodney Appleseed" to "Jinshirou") or schedule Ross to speak check out: www.RossAnthony.com or call 1-800-767-7186. Go into the world and inspire the people you meet with your love, kindness, and whatever it is you're really good at. Check out books by Ross Anthony. Rand() functions, Pho chicken soup, rollerblading, and frozen yogurt (w/ blueberries) also rock! (Btw, rand is short for random. It can also stand for "Really Awkward Nutty Dinosaurs" -- which is quite rand, isn't it?) Being alive is the miracle. Special thanks to Ken Kocanda, HAL, Jodie Keszek, Don Haderlein, Mom and Pops, my family, R. Foss, and many others by Ross Anthony. Galati-FE also deserves a shout out. And thanks to all of you for your interest and optimism. Enjoy great films, read stirring novels, grow.


Last Modified: Wednesday, 25-Mar-2009 21:14:06 PDT