Impact of painting on cinema, contemporary cineastes
By Behdad Najafi Assadollahi
Painter, multimedia artist
Throughout the course of art history we have seen the coexistence and influence of various artistic fields. This, often accompanied by synergy, has significantly contributed to the overall outcomes of interactions between different artistic fields, fostering notable growth and development. Moreover, interdisciplinary collaboration has led to creativity, both quantitatively and qualitatively, playing a crucial role in advancing artistic activities.
Among these fields, painting and cinema share a special connection. The roots of this connection can be found in their nature, form, methods, and influential elements in the process of its creation. These two fields, primarily grounded in visual perception and their interaction with the audience, can be perceived as closely linked. Therefore, the roles of color, light, and composition can be considered fundamental factors linking them together. Both painting and cinema, through the creation of visual atmospheres, based on the mentioned visual characteristics, captivate audiences and engage them in the experience.
Although sound, music, and auditory perception also play significant roles in cinematic works, many renowned filmmakers have crafted timeless scenes relying solely on visual techniques, without using auditory elements. Each of these scenes is recalled in art history discussions through a representative image, typically possessing the characteristics of a painting, including composition, color, light, and more.
After providing an overview of the common factors and the bond between painting and cinema, we explore the major practical methods of interaction and collaboration between these two in today’s world.
Artists: A significant number of prominent filmmakers initially entered the realm of art through painting and other visual arts. Notable examples include the late Abbas Kiarostami, who started his artistic journey with painting at the age of 18 and later ventured into photography and filmmaking. Internationally, figures like Jean Cocteau, Andy Warhol, John Huston, and Alfred Hitchcock have followed similar approaches.
Biographies of painters: The use of painters’ biographies in shaping the screenplay and narrative of films is another significant aspect. Films centered around the lives of painters such as Van Gogh, Modigliani, and Goya are some of these examples.
Paintings: Incorporating paintings into the creation of the main storyline, as seen in films like ‘Girl with a Pearl Earring,’ based on Johannes Vermeer’s painting of the same name, demonstrates how paintings can inspire cinematic narratives. Paintings may also be used not as the main subject but to influence the storyline, as exemplified in the famous James Bond film ‘Dr. No,’ where the stolen painting ‘Portrait of the Duke of Wellington’ becomes a significant element in the plot.
Set designing: Paintings are employed in two primary forms in cinematic films’ set designing. In the first form, significant sections of the scene are created and implemented through painting, as seen in films like ‘An American in Paris’ directed by Vincente Minnelli and Hitchcock’s ‘Rope.’ In the second form, paintings, along with other visual artworks like sculptures, play a key role in designing and composing scenes, enhancing the film’s attractiveness, beauty, and impact.
Main locations: The use of museums, galleries, art exhibitions, and other art-related venues as primary and secondary film locations establishes a connection between the film and the audience through cultural and artistic lenses. Moreover, many films feature main or supporting actors engaging in artistic professions, such as painting, buying and selling artworks, which, depending on the film’s narrative, influences the interaction between painting and cinema.
Influence: Using painting principles and techniques to enhance the narrative impact of film scenes is a common practice. A memorable example is the binary sunset scene in ‘Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope’ (1977), where the extraordinary creation of a sunset scene using painting techniques leaves a lasting impression on viewers.
In terms of applying painting principles in cinema, Quentin Tarantino’s ‘Kill Bill’ is noticeable. The film’s use of color and the application of specific color palettes, including yellow, orange, and black, alongside appropriate composition, significantly contribute to creating visually captivating and mesmerizing cinematic scenes.
Improvement of social class in film: Depicting scenes of art appreciation, artwork acquisition, and participation in art events, especially with a focus on painting, serves as an effective method to illustrate cultural growth and social class transformation in many successful cinematic works. This directly highlights the high status of art in human societies.
Other topics: Exciting themes such as art theft, plagiarism, illegal economic transactions, etc., have been used in successful films, emphasizing the value and unique position of paintings and, more broadly, art and artistic works in cinema.
As previously mentioned, drawing inspiration from another art form is not a new concept, and we have witnessed this throughout art history. The cinematic adaptation of painting, especially when the artworks possess a narrative content, significantly enhances the storytelling and character development in films.
In addition, the application of color, light, camera angles, and scene composition is strikingly evident in the successful cinematic works and memorable scenes recorded in the history of cinema.