Main Cast: Michel Serrault, Valentina Cervi, Miki Manojlovic, Luca Zingaretti, Brigitte Catillon
Release Year: 1997
Country: FR/IT/DE
Run Time: 102 minutes
Plot
This historical drama is based on the true story of Artemisia Gentileschi, the first woman to achieve success as a painter. In 17th century Italy, noted artist Orazio Gentileschi (Michel Serrault) is a portrait artist enjoying a certain degree of success and acclaim. His 17-year-old daughter Artemisia (Valentina Cervi) would like to follow the same path as her father, but women are not allowed to pursue careers in the arts, and the convent where she attends school forbids students to sketch nude models. Eager to learn, Artemisia begins posing for herself by use of a mirror; her father discovers her secret but is enthusiastic about her work, and he takes her out of school so he can tutor her in painting and drawing. Orazio forbids her to draw male nudes, but curious Artemisia persuades local men to serve as her models, and her work steadily improves. In time, Artemisia and her work come to the attention of Agostino Tassi (Miki Manojovic), a friend of her father who is a well-known painter and something of a rake. Tassi is impressed by both the art and the artist, but when he and Artemisia begin a love affair, he finds himself on trial for rape. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
Review
The historical romance Artemisia is a lushly photographed costume docudrama about the controversial 17th century painter Artemisia Gentileschi. By choosing to focus on her teenage years, loss of virginity, and romantic entanglements with her instructor, the story bypasses her personal artistic struggles for the melodramatic mixing of art and passion -- a choice that has continually been used to devalue women artists in general. The first half of the film is at its best, with the young Artemisia (a headstrong and determined Valentina Cervi) in numerous voyeuristic opportunities, like spying on lovers on the beach and peeking into a brothel. These scenes effectively show the creative impulses of a budding Renaissance painter making attempts at learning her craft, as well as that of a sexually curious young woman. However, the second half becomes bogged down in the relationship between Artemisia and Tassi (Miki Manojlovic), evading the story of her own creative drive. Spoken in French about an entirely Italian subject, director Agnés Merlet provides more than a few historical inaccuracies to the benefit of the melodrama. Though it makes for a compelling story, the film's trial diverts from the real-life transcribed rape trial, and coats the topic with a mutually loving teacher-student relationship before any suggestion of rape is made. For such a historically important figure, Artemisia misses the opportunity to make a unique portrait of an artist and pioneer in the face of repression, becoming instead a wonderful bodice-ripping romance. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
