Basquiat (1996)

User Rating:

6.7/10   

Director:

Julian Schnabel

Writers:

Lech Majewski (story) and
John F. Bowe (short story) ...

Release Date:

9 August 1996 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Drama

Tagline:

In 1981, A Nineteen-Year-Old Unknown Graffiti Writer Took The New York Art World By Storm. The Rest Is Art History.

Plot:

Basquiat tells the story of the meteoric rise of youthful artist Jean-Michel Basquiat. Starting out as a street artist...

Plot Keywords:

Artist | Street Artist | Friendship | Warhol | Art

Awards:

2 wins & 3 nominations

Cast

Jeffrey Wright	...	Jean Michel Basquiat
Michael Wincott	...	Rene Ricard
Benicio Del Toro	...	Benny Dalmau
Claire Forlani	...	Gina Cardinale
David Bowie	...	Andy Warhol
Dennis Hopper	...	Bruno Bischofberger
Gary Oldman	...	Albert Milo
Christopher Walken	...	The Interviewer
Willem Dafoe	...	The Electrician
Jean-Claude La Marre	...	Shenge (as Jean Claude LaMarre)
Parker Posey	...	Mary Boone
Elina Löwensohn	...	Annina Nosei
Paul Bartel	...	Henry Geldzahler
Courtney Love	...	Big Pink
Tatum O'Neal	...	Cynthia Kruger

Also Known As:

Build a Fort, Set It on Fire

MPAA:

Rated R for drug use and strong language.

Runtime:

108 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Spanish

Colour:

Colour

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Canada:18A (Ontario) | South Korea:18 | Australia:MA | Finland:K-16 | Norway:15 | Portugal:M/16 | Spain:13 | Sweden:11 | UK:15 | USA:R | Germany:12 | Iceland:L

Filming Locations:

New York, USA

Company:

Eleventh Street Production

Trivia:

David Bowie and Gary Oldman have both played Pontius Pilate. Bowie played the role in The Last Temptation of Christ (1988), and Oldman played him in Jesus (1999) (TV).

Goofs:

Continuity: When Basquiat is painting on the floor in his studio, part of the painting in the upper-left hand corner disappears and reappears.

Quotes:

Andy Warhol: I don't like beer.

Movie Connections:

Features New York Beat Movie (1981)

Soundtrack:

A Small Plot of Land

Fascinating look at New York art world

I'm a sucker for movies set in New York City, which is one reason I decided to see this, that and the supporting cast. I don't know much about Basquiat, his life or work, so I don't know how accurate the movie is, nor do I know much about art, but this film drew me in. I know the film was made by a friend and compatriot of Basquiat, Julian Schnabel, and if there's a weakness, it's that sometimes we feel this is an inside job. Nevertheless, we do go inside the art world, get to know about graffiti, and we get to understand what makes Basquiat tick. I also thought Jeffrey Wright was good in the title role. The supporting cast were all first-rate as well.