[.ca] Artemisia (Widescreen)

Sloppy, inaccurate period costume flick:
Everybody else has clarified for you that the REAL Artemisia's story is not told here and is actually "inverted", i.e. they turn the story of her rape into a consensual love affair. But that's far from the worst thing...I think the worst thing about this smarmy, heavy-breathing costume flick is that it makes the story of a brilliant woman painter's career into a story about who she sleeps with. And that's a terrible injustice. The least interesting thing about Artemisia Gentilleschi is her sex life. If this film had the slightest integrity it would have at least shown her paintings. If you viewed this movie and had no other knowledge of the artist and the historical period, you would come away feeling you had watched a 17th century version of the Red Shoe Diaries...i.e., softcore porn, in this case focused on the smarmily told sexual awakening of a pretty teenage girl. Ugh. You can skip this one... or watch if if you are an adult, but please please do not offer it up to a youngster, especially a girl, as any kind of "life of the artist" type of film (like the vastly superior "Frida" about Frida Kahlo), because this movie just sends absolutely the wrong kind of message to girls, that your sexuality is the most interesting thing about you, and talent is only another way to get laid.

TALK ABOUT REWRITING HISTORY!!!:
Maybe this is how someone thought the story should have been but anyone who has read anything about Artemisia Gentileschi knows that this was bogus work of fiction. However, it was a beautiful movie. It captured the spirit of a girl who probably had a soul akin to the artist, however this story was not the story of Artemisia. I think it is so strange that they even put her name as the title. This is the kind of thing that history professors create to trap all of the slackers who refuse to read thier history books and try to take the easy way out by renting the video. WARNING: READ YOUR HISTORY BEFORE YOU TAKE THE TEST- but enjoy the movie.

Much less than I expected:
I have to agree with many of the other reviewers that the film's inaccuracies hurt it's credibility. I also found the overall film quality ( art direction, costumes, etc. ) to be good but not great. However, I enjoyed the depiction of the tools and techniques employed by painters of that era. But perhaps the most offensive aspect of this film is the way in which it demeans woman artists. As someone who graduated from art school in the 1970's, I can attest to the the almost total neglect paid to the accomplishments of woman artists prior to the 1960's. One of the few exceptions that comes to mind is Mary Cassatt; and what credit she has been afforded is unfairly stigmatized by her " woman's " subject matter. I bought this DVD because I'm a painter, and I had incorrectly assumed that this was going to be a more accurate telling of her remarkable life story. Frankly, I wish I had seen it first; I would have spent my money elsewhere.

Beautiful But Flawed:
I love Artemisia Gentileschi's work. I've painted her self-portrait in my art class. She and Frida Kahlo are among my favorite painters. So when I learned there was a movie about her life, I rented it. Yes, the cinematography is lush. But no, the story is not true. To treat the rape of a young lady with a cavalier attitude does this great woman and artist a terrible injustice. Artemisia painted the horrific and powerful "Judith Slaying Holofernes" as an angry reaction to her rape. We don't see this anger in the movie as she paints this vicious canvas. And that, at least in this sense, deprives Artemisia of her power. No, sadly this could have been a fine film. While I liked some parts of it, I found it too focused on her sexual daillances with Agostino. Lovely cinematography and music do not a movie make. Where was the depth of characterization? And, most importantly, where was the whole truth? But until another and better Artemisia movie is filmed, I suggest the book "Artemisia Gentileschi" by Mary Garrard. It contains the complete transcript of the rape trial. And it is far more detailed than what the movie showed.

Awful:
I've always had a passion for foreign movies. I'm also an artist, so I thought this movie would be perfect for me. I must say I'm really disappointed. The plot is totally weak, the characters are portrayed as superficial and the actors are not good at all. I must say I haven't seen such a bad movie in a long time.