Pollock Review
By Joe Lozito
Putting the Pain in Painter
"Pollock" is one of those films whose poster could have the tagline "Ed Harris is Jackson Pollock". In bringing the controversial painter to life, Mr. Harris has found a role which allows him to revel in all the things he does best: the icy stare, the vicious monologue, the smoldering intensity. While watching the film, you're never sure if he's going to collapse or lash out at someone. His performance is phenomenal, and the script by Gregory White Smith and Steven Naifeh (based on their book) allows the actor to dole out his performance in teasing morsels which keep the audience hanging on his every word for a majority of the film.
Mr. Harris is equaled by Marcia Gay Harden (Space Cowboys, Meet Joe Black) as Pollock's wife, fellow painter Lee Krasner. From the moment Krasner comes into his life, she is his unquestioning support. But Ms. Harden does not play her as a doormat, her Krasner is self-confident and strong. When Pollock returns from his self-proclaimed final bender she tells him, "I want to get married. I realize this is what I want. So it's either marriage or split."
The script also has a good ear for the inanities which can be the downfall of any artist - the fair-weather friends, the phonies, and yes, the critics. Watching Mr. Harris as Pollock feels like watching the painter himself. As he gets caught up in his own hype and his own success, we feel him getting pulled away from the purity of what he has created. When, in a beautiful scene, he stares for hours at an enormous blank canvas, it evokes a wonder that anything is ever created at all. Mr. Harris gets a glint of inspiration in his eye and suddenly he's vigorously throwing colors with masterful control.
The film is beautifully shot by Mr. Harris, tackling a dual role as director. The scenes of Pollock creating his paintings and discovering his signature paint-splattering style are the film's high points. Since Pollock is drunk for much of the film, there are many of the clichéd embarrassing moments. Too often the film shows Pollock exploding in front of Krasner and their friends, and too often he stands stoically against a lecture from his sober companions.
But if the film is not perfect, Mr. Harris and Ms. Harden are. When he asks her if they can have a child she simply replies "no". The ever-temperamental Pollock smashes a beer bottle against a record player, scratching the disc. "We're painters, Pollock," she says, "I wouldn't bring a child into this." It's another wonderful moment in a film which paints its characters with precise, fluid brushstrokes (pun definitely intended).
