Lust for Life

"He had a lust for life. Sometimes he was brutal, sometimes delicate – always he lived with insatiable passion!"

1956 2h 2m EN

👍

7.2

SOLID

★7.2TMDB · 210

DramaHistory

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

An intense and imaginative artist, revered Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh possesses undeniable talent, but he is plagued by mental problems and frustrations with failure. Supported by his brother, Theo, the tormented Van Gogh eventually leaves Holland for France, where he meets volatile fellow painter Paul Gauguin and struggles to find greater inspiration.

“He had a lust for life. Sometimes he was brutal, sometimes delicate – always he lived with insatiable passion!”

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Cast

Kirk Douglas
Vincent van Gogh
Anthony Quinn
Paul Gauguin
James Donald
Theo van Gogh
Pamela Brown
Christine
Everett Sloane
Dr. Gachet
Niall MacGinnis
Roulin
Noel Purcell
Anton Mauve
Henry Daniell
Theodorus van Gogh

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Vincente Minnelli
Writers: Norman Corwin
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 7

ERA

Did you know

70 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Vincente Minnelli, shot by Russell Harlan. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Miklós Rózsa. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Adrienne Fazan shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 7

CAST

Did you know

Kirk Douglas and Anthony Quinn and James Donald carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 7

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "He had a lust for life. Sometimes he was brutal, sometimes delicate – always he lived with insatiable passion!".

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 7

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0049456 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Vincente Minnelli directs. Russell Harlan behind the camera. Miklós Rózsa scores. Adrienne Fazan cuts. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

170 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
2Directed by Vincente Minnelli, shot by Russell Harlan. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
3Original score by Miklós Rózsa. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
4Editor Adrienne Fazan shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
5Kirk Douglas and Anthony Quinn and James Donald carry the top of the cast.
6Marketing tagline: "He had a lust for life. Sometimes he was brutal, sometimes delicate – always he lived with insatiable passion!".
7IMDB entry: tt0049456 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
8Classified under 23 themes, including "suicide", "paris, france", "painting", "artist".

The technical file

Cinematography: Russell Harlan
Original score: Miklós Rózsa
Editing: Adrienne Fazan
Makeup / hair: Sydney Guilaroff
Runtime: 122 min · 2h 2m
Status: Released
Original language: EN
Certification (US): NR
IMDB: Lust for Life (1956)

Awards

National Board of Review: Top Ten Films
Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor

Individual records documented via Wikidata; the summary above may count more.

Also by

Vincente Minnelli

Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

Community reviews

What people are saying

John Chard2020-01-26
★ 9/10
Violence makes me sick. I have too much inside me, I'm afraid of it. Lust for Life is a biography film of revered painter Vincent Van Gogh. It is adapted from Irving Stone's fictionalized biography by Norman Corwin and stars Kirk Douglas, Anthony Quinn and James Donald. It's directed by Vincente Minnelli, cinematography is by Freddie Young and Russel Harlan and music is scored by Miklos Roza. This shines bright as a beacon in how Hollywood used to make a biopic the right way. Not a big commercial success as such, it has however gained critical praise the older it gets. Technically it's hard to fault, the colour lenses in CinemaScope, Roza's beautiful mood accompaniment score, and the direction and acting - with Douglas inhabiting Van Gogh and likewise Quinn for Paul Gauguin (Oscar Winner Best Supporting Actor) - bring this tragic story vividly to life. It tugs the heart strings while it also inspires, while for art lovers the use of Van Gogh's real paintings (Minnelli was trusted to film with ultimate care) is an added joy. A super piece of film making. 9/10

Production companies