AllMovie

Running a mere two reels, Van Gogh was fledgling filmmaker Alain Resnais' first effort in his documentary series about famous artists. Produced by Pierre Braunberger, who would underwrite most of Resnais' classics of the 1950s and 1960s, the film won several international awards. Concentrating on Van Gogh's paintings, Resnais charts the artist's self-destructive streak and descent into madness -- and at the same time celebrates his brilliance and "lust for life." The narration was written by G. Diehl and R. Hessens. The music, which many reviewers felt was the film's strongest asset, was by Jacques Besse.