(1997)
3
Andrea LeVasseur
The historical romance Artemisia is a lushly photographed costume docudrama about the controversial 17th century painter Artemisia Gentileschi. By choosing to focus on her teenage years, loss of virginity, and romantic entanglements with her instructor, the story bypasses her personal artistic struggles for the melodramatic mixing of art and passion -- a choice that has continually been used to devalue women artists in general. The first half of the film is at its best, with the young Artemisia (a headstrong and determined Valentina Cervi) in numerous voyeuristic opportunities, like spying on lovers on the beach and peeking into a brothel. These scenes effectively show the creative impulses of a budding Renaissance painter making attempts at learning her craft, as well as that of a sexually curious young woman. However, the second half becomes bogged down in the relationship between Artemisia and Tassi (Miki Manojlovic), evading the story of her own creative drive. Spoken in French about an entirely Italian subject, director Agnés Merlet provides more than a few historical inaccuracies to the benefit of the melodrama. Though it makes for a compelling story, the film's trial diverts from the real-life transcribed rape trial, and coats the topic with a mutually loving teacher-student relationship before any suggestion of rape is made. For such a historically important figure, Artemisia misses the opportunity to make a unique portrait of an artist and pioneer in the face of repression, becoming instead a wonderful bodice-ripping romance.
Artemisia on AllMovie
Artemisia (1997)
