Product Description

Francis Bacon was widely regarded as the greatest British painter of this century. His pictures of screaming popes and portraits of faces contorted with pain and violently distorted bodies shocked the art world. More than anyone since Picasso, Bacon's works tapped into our fears, giving his paintings a terrible beauty that has placed them among the most memorable images in the history of art. Winner of 1985 International Emmy Award.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #76184 in DVD
• Released on: 2001-03-06
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: Color, DVD, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 55 minutes

Amazon.com
This South Bank Show interview of the artist famous for depicting a screaming Pope and bloody bodies begins with him walking the streets of London, visiting the fruit market and such, while interviewer Melvyn Bragg gives a brief overview of Bacon's childhood and early career. Then Bragg enters the picture, questioning the leather-clad, slightly paunchy Bacon in a series of his pet haunts: the Tate Gallery storeroom looking at slides of his work and others that inspired him, his messy studio, his favorite restaurant, a drinking club, and a gambling casino. Despite his fondness for painting slabs of meat, syringe-stuck bodies, and the like, Bacon describes himself as an optimist and, indeed, his manner is quite cheerful as he denounces the work of Pollack and Rothko, criticizes some of his own paintings, and muses on the inevitability of death and nothingness. Of his filthy studio he explains "I work much better in chaos," and, while happy to talk about the things that inspire him, he refuses to tell the story of any particular painting: "It is itself and it's nothing else." Filmed in 1985, seven years before his death, this 55-minute documentary is revelatory, amusing, and--like its subject-- ultimately quite charming. --Kimberly Heinrichs

Customer Reviews

Francis Bacon hides nothing fools noone
This video is recommended viewing for all die- hard Francis Bacon fans. You will get to see his infamous hang outs, his friends and foes. He is also quite frank about his likes and dislikes in the art world (i.e. He hated Rothko!). Also, he talks at length about his theories and sources of his art.

an old fashioned gesture
this 50 minute piece produced by BBC follows the great painter Francis Bacon around from the streets of london, to the Tate Gallery, to a drunken lunch, to the painters studio at 7 Reece Mews, to the reknown Colony Room - a drinking club Bacon frequented for 40 years, and finally to a late night casino. very interesting portrayal and the comments from Bacon are in great form. A perfect introduction to the painter and for those quite familar with Bacon you will most likely recognize many of his statements - he often says the same things over and over (more or less) but its still very interesting to see him in action. in addition the paintings and close-ups they show during the video are so much more fulfilling the reproductions. i saw some paintings in a completely new light.

Francis Bacon
Words cannot express how great this interview was to see. It was so exciting to see the great oil painter revealing his technique and views on life in this documentary. If your that interested in Bacon to read this review you should get it.