With the world at our fingertips nowadays, art forms feed into others as we are constantly inspired whether nose-deep into a great novel, or scrolling through an online catalog. And yes, life imitates art, but cinema juxtaposes both into a stunning amalgam of characters, scenery, sets, and dialogue, creating unforgettable universes of its own. Oftentimes directors take their own direction from varying forms of inspiration, whether adapting a screenplay from a book (an ongoing trend) , or creating a backdrop that adds dimension to a painting they like, a la David Lynch and his adoration for artist Edward Hopper.
In this new video, Vugar Efendi merges side-by-sides of paintings and the film scenes they’ve inspired, creating an otherworldly viewing experience. Paul Thomas Anderson borrowed visual cues from Jean-Hoppolyte Flandrin for 2007’s “There Will Be Blood,” (also based on Upton Sinclair‘s novel, “Oil”) whereas Jonathan Glazer took notes on the work of Marc Chagall (specifically his 1918 piece “Over the Town”) for an ethereal kiss scene in 2000’s “Sexy Beast.” The inimitable Jean-Luc Godard, lover of all art forms, modeled his nude woman bathing in “Passion” after a painting by Jean-August Dominique, and even Steven Spielberg turned to fine art for 1987’s “Empire of the Sun” when he based a scene on Americana master Norman Rockwell‘s painting “Freedom From Fear.”
Our favorite American Python Terry Gilliam took notes from regionalist artist Grant Wood (famous for “American Gothic”) for a scene in “The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus,” and the master Stanley Kubrick based 1975’s “Barry Lyndon” on paintings from several artists, notably John Constable.
Check out the rest of Efendi’s essay, and see what other directors gathered their sights and sounds from the walls of a museum.
