Pollock

Summary

“I am not going to bring another life into that.”

Ed Harris is a national treasure. I have always considered him to be an extremely gifted actor with an uncanny ability to seem completely believable in his roles. Part of this ability comes from the natural grit he possesses, probably a carryover from his playing football at Columbia before becoming an actor at the University of Oklahoma, but the ability also comes from his extremely expressive eyes. He has the ability to play the toughest characters and the kindest. His range is more impressive than most actors of his generation. He has often shown that range through his choice of roles that finds him playing everything from a gangster (A History of Violence,) a television director with a God complex (The Truman Show,) a talented Russian sniper (Enemy at the Gates,) a small town restaurant owner (Empire Falls,) or American hero John Glenn (The Right Stuff.) In every role, Ed Harris elevates the material. When Sony Pictures Classics announced that they would be releasing Ed Harris’s directorial debut from 2000, Pollock, on Blu-ray, I was excited to finally see the film. I remember reading positive notices for the picture when it came out, but had not seen it. 

Based on the Pulitzer Prize winning book Jackson Pollock: An American Saga, by Steven Naifeh and Gregory White Smith, the film tells the story of the abstract artist Jackson Pollock who rose to fame from squalor before his untimely death. The script by Barbara Turner and Susan Emshwiller focuses on Pollock’s rise in the art world, his tumultuous relationship with Lee Krasner and alcohol, and the circumstances surrounding his death. The film was a passion project for Ed Harris who spent nine years trying to get the film made before making the picture as an independent film. The film has a wonderful ensemble cast. Marcia Gay Harden won a Best Supporting Actress Academy Award for her performance as Pollock’s long term romantic interest Lee Krasner. Pollock is a very confidently made film and showed that Harris had some real talent in front of and behind the camera.

Greenwich Village, 1941 – Jackson Pollock (Ed Harris) is a struggling artist living with his brother Sande (Robert Knott) and his sister-in-law Arloie. The artist Lee Krasner (Marcia Gay Harden) arrives at Pollock’s studio and is taken with his works. She invites him to come by her studio whenever he feels the urge. Three weeks later Jackson stops by to visit her. He tells her she’s a “damn good woman painter” after seeing her work. She reveals that they had actually danced together five years earlier but he was drunk and clumsy. After getting to know each other they return to her apartment and make love. Pollock may have been manic depressive. He is forced into an asylum by his brother after a nervous breakdown. When his work is shown to a purchaser for Peggy Guggenheim (Amy Madigan) she helps him to get exposure in the art world. Jackson drunkenly attempts to seduce Peggy one night but his body fails him. He continues to struggle with alcohol and go on benders. After he returns to Lee after a serious bender, Lee give him an ultimatum to either marry her or split up. While at the beach, he decides they should marry. In 1945, they move into a house in small town in Long Island. He takes his art seriously while living in the house, but they continue to struggle financially and with his problematic drinking. He wants a baby with her, but she refuses to have a baby with him while he continues to drink. The film follows Pollock as he develops his style while dealing with his crippling alcohol addiction and eventually the trappings of success.

Pollock is a very well made docudrama. One of the first lines in the film is “Fuck Picasso!” This line helps set the tone for a rollicking look at the artist. Pollock set out to be different from all the artists who came before him, which is no easy task. Given the prestige associated with his body of work, I would say that he succeeded in that goal. The film does an excellent job of showing just how differently Pollock approached his work than other painters. I have affection for films about the evolution of artists, and Pollock is a very good film about a very complicated man. The film is made up of little moments that paint a convincing picture of him. Many moments in the film stood out, such as when Jackson pays for his grocery bill with a painting, or when he rides a bicycle full of beer with a cigarette dangling from his lips. The sequences in which Ed Harris creates art in the same way as Pollock are truly remarkable. Those moments are aided by a very well considered score by Jeff Beal. When the score is playing and Ed Harris is mimicking the painting techniques of Pollock, the film really comes to life. I also appreciated the period recreation which the film accomplished on its relatively small six million dollar budget. The aesthetic choices made for the film all work. The cinematography by Lisa Rinzler is not overly stylized, aside from allowing higher levels of contrast, and fits the picture well. I also appreciated hearing Tom Waits’ voice singing in the credits.

The ensemble cast is great. Ed Harris is dynamite in the film, but that comes as no surprise. He was nominated for Best Actor for his role, but lost that year to Russell Crowe for his performance in Gladiator. Marcia Gay Harden is very good in the film as Lee Krasner. The role has plenty of dramatic moments for her to sink her teeth into. Jeffrey Tambor does well in the role of Clem Greenberg. Jennifer Connelly is absolutely radiant as Ruth Kligman. The cast is rounded out by Val Kilmer, Amy Madigan, and numerous other talented actors.

Overall, Pollock is a very well made picture about a very complicated man. Fans of Ed Harris and fans of Jackson Pollock’s artwork will be equally impressed by the film.

Video

Pollock has been released onto Blu-ray in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1. The Blu-ray presentation is in 1080p. Sony’s usual attention to detail shines through again on this release. The colors of the film look great and the grain is well resolved. During certain sequences, Pollock was shot in a high contrast style which means that detail levels on the Blu-ray are very good and everything in the film looks very sharp at times. Fans of the picture will be very pleased with the picture quality.

Audio

The DTS-HD MA 5.1 track sounds great. The film is centered on dialogue, but the surrounds are used effectively to bring the very best out of Jeff Beal’s excellent score. Clarity is excellent. I have no complaints.

Supplements:

• Audio Commentary with director/actor Ed Harris
• Charlie Rose Interview with Ed Harris – In this interview, Ed Harris discusses at length the reasons he was attracted to the project, the years he spent trying to have the film made, and his fascination with the subject of the film. This is a really solid .
• The Making of Pollock – an archival production featurette. This has some solid information and is pretty well made.
• Deleted Scenes
• Theatrical Trailer

Overall Scores:

Video: 4.75/5

Audio: 4.5/5

Supplements: 4/5

Overall – 4.25/5

Pollock was a passion project for director and actor Ed Harris that took nine years for him to fund and film. Harris is exceptional in the film and also proves himself to have a real vision behind the camera for the film. I knew absolutely nothing about Jackson Pollock’s life before viewing the film, and I thought the picture did an excellent job of showing his rise, his struggles with alcohol, and his abrupt demise. The subject matter is certainly depressing due to the way in which Pollock met his end (which was also incredibly selfish,) but the evolution of the artist is thrilling to watch in the film. The script is very well written and full of little moments that bring the artist to life. The Sony Pictures Classics Blu-ray features great video, solid audio, and some well done archival features. Recommended.

The film can be purchased at www.moviezyng.com.