Polloclk
To properly judge any body of work, the first relevant question to ask is; did the creator achieve the objective or vision that he originally sought after? As director and star of "Pollock," Ed Harris had the challenge of bringing this extraordinary character to life as well as telling his story. As you might have guessed, being a brilliant actor and a first time director, he'll have to settle for one out of two. In the beginning, stumbling up a stairwell in the middle of the night, it is quickly established that abstract art legend Jackson Pollock suffered from a drinking problem. Soon after, Pollock met a painter in Greenwich Village, Lee Krasner (Marcia Gay Harden), who showed passionate interest in his artistic style and work. As the two became romantically involved, Krasner also began to take on the role as his manager. Krasner proved her devotion to Pollock by staying by his side no matter what the circumstance; even though time after time he was repeatedly in and out of being a crazy demented alcoholic. After marrying, the two isolate themselves by moving away from the city to Long Island, where Pollock seemingly contemplates his life as an artist. With growth and change comes a whole new artistic style; one tha
At one point, when commissioned by Peggy Guggenheim (Amy Madigan), Pollock paints a remarkable mural. So if you are interested in seeing the creation of art and love the nagging ear wrenching sounds of a Brooklyn native, you will be more than happy to watch "Pollock. " As great as that may be, sadly Harris' dual role as director and star weakened the film's directorial elements. In spite of the exceptional performances by Ed Harris and Marcia Gay Harden, "Pollock" is a film made for art lovers and no one else. In the second half of the film, he surprisingly has a whole family full of brothers, sister-in-laws, nieces and nephews. We understand why she puts herself in that position; we see that Pollock has the potential to become an extraordinary painter, and that it is through her support that he becomes one. Before even picking up a brush, he locks himself in his studio for nearly two weeks. Another drawback of "Pollock" is the screenplay by Barbara Turner and Susan Emshwiller, which shies away from probing Pollock's psychological problems. Clearly Pollock was an extremist, but why did he act that way? Like a painting, there was no explanation for what motivated the artist. The way in which Pollock's story unfolds leaves the audience questioning the reasons behind the actions. "Pollock" is a hugely challenging subject for a first-time director, and Harris is most successful when it comes to his acting performance. Then suddenly, sounds of orchestrated music emerge as he furiously hovers over a blank white canvas and brings it to life. Harris's success as Pollock mainly derives from his ability to paint as Pollock did. As leading woman, Marcia Gay Harden, too, gives a stunning performance as Lee Krasner. Acting as his caretaker, she pushes him to strive, and sells him to art galleries and patrons.
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Acceptance Essays
