Basquiat

"In 1981, a nineteen-year-old unknown graffiti writer took the New York art world by storm. The rest is art history."

1996 1h 47m EN

👍

6.6

SOLID

★6.6TMDB · 327

DramaHistory

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

The brief life of Jean Michel Basquiat, a world renowned New York street artist struggling with fame, drugs and his identity.

“In 1981, a nineteen-year-old unknown graffiti writer took the New York art world by storm. The rest is art history.”

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Cast

Jeffrey Wright
Jean Michel Basquiat
Michael Wincott
Rene Ricard
Benicio del Toro
Benny Dalmau
Claire Forlani
Gina Cardinale
David Bowie
Andy Warhol
Dennis Hopper
Bruno Bischofberger
Gary Oldman
Albert Milo
Christopher Walken
The Interviewer

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Julian Schnabel
Writers: John F. Bowe, Julian Schnabel, Lech Majewski
Languages: Spanish, 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 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Shot for just $3.3M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Earned back only 92% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

ERA

Did you know

30 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 2 languages: Spanish, English.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Julian Schnabel, shot by Ron Fortunato. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Jeffrey Wright and Michael Wincott and Benicio del Toro carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Julian Schnabel directs. Ron Fortunato behind the camera. Julian Schnabel scores. Michael Berenbaum cuts. A commercial under-performer on release. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in Spanish, English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Shot for just $3.3M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.
2Earned back only 92% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.
330 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
4Dialogue crosses 2 languages: Spanish, English.
5Directed by Julian Schnabel, shot by Ron Fortunato. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
6Original score by Julian Schnabel. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
7Editor Michael Berenbaum shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
8Jeffrey Wright and Michael Wincott and Benicio del Toro carry the top of the cast.
9Marketing tagline: "In 1981, a nineteen-year-old unknown graffiti writer took the New York art world by storm. The rest is art history.".
10IMDB entry: tt0115632 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
11Classified under 20 themes, including "new york city", "friendship", "new love", "homeless person".