Product Description

Looking back on his life in 1920, Claude Monet recalls the story of the Impressionists – a movement that shook the foundation of the art world. With his fellow painters, Auguste Renoir and Frederic Bazille, they begin a forty year struggle against the Salon, the annual state art exhibition. From meeting his hero Edouard Manet to the death of his wife and his lifelong struggles for success, Monet along with his friends and rivals ultimately find the success that they only dreamed was possible.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #11164 in DVD
• Brand: Koch International
• Released on: 2006-12-05
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Aspect ratio: 1.77:1
• Formats: Color, Dolby, DVD, Widescreen, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 2
• Dimensions: .30 pounds
• Running time: 177 minutes

Customer Reviews

Not riveting--but I enjoyed it.
I eagerly awaited the release of this DVD. I fell in love with Richard Armitage in North & South (who didn't) and I have always been a fan of the French Impressionists, especially Monet. I thought that the miniseries was very well made, bringing actual paintings into the script, and really put the whole period into context. The acting was excellent and the script was well written. That said, this is not a fast moving drama, and those expecting such will be disappointed. There were several funny lines, but overall, it was a slow but beautiful story. I was a little disappointed with the amount of time that was devoted to Cezanne, especially in contrast to how little time was devoted to Renoir. The mini-series is very ambitious--it spans a historical time period of over 40 years. Obviously in three hours there were things that had to be omitted, but it stayed true to the spirit of the Impressionist movement and was enjoyable to watch. If you are a fan of BBC period Drama, I would add this to your collection.

This is a wonderful background to the art we love
I really did not know what to expect when I bought this dvd. It really explores the whole impressionist movement from the beginning. It covers the artists: Monet, Manet, Renoir, Degas, Bazille and Cezanne. These artists were all interconnected with one another and suffered great rejection from the art establishment for years. I was really engrossed in the personal stories of each artist from youth to the end of their lives. The stories show how some of the paintings were created and at the end of the scenes, the genuine paintings were displayed. I am an artist myself and particularly enjoyed seeing this. With genius usually comes oddity and you will not be disappointed. Besides the art history lesson, the series also demonstrates that reaching for one's dreams, even in the face of adversity, pays off. Touching story from which I learned a great deal.

Incredibly Good
I had initially bought this based solely on the fact that Richard Armitage is in it. I was not disappointed. It is an incredibly engaging piece dedicated to the life of Claude Monet and his circle of artist friends of the time. I did not know much about TI before this so it was a wonderful lesson in art. The most enjoyable parts were when the paintings we all know so well had been brought to life right in front of my eyes. The subject, the surroundings, the story behind the paintings were revealed. We know them so well today as the greats but here we get to see the struggles they went thru at the time and how they were treated by their contemporaries. It's one that I've happily added to my DVD library and would watch again.