Remarks

Pailat tells Van Gogh's story elliptically. For example, we learn he suffers headaches and is having fits. Roll on one hour to Dr Gauchet at lunch, someone in pain is alone. So the scene is set for Van Gogh's estrangement from the bucolic world around him. His suffering is distilled by Marguerite who says, much later that painting is a disease. Most staggering to me was the showing of a difficult, complex relationship between Vincent and Theo. Published letters between the pair do not point to the relationship Pialat depicts and, which I trust, is faithful to truth.

Dutronc is marvellous as Van Gogh and the use of painting and recreation of some of VG's paintings for the screen was so well done. I don't understand in many ways the relationship Pialat had with world and life that he depicted things and people as he did but I marvel at his skills nonetheless.

I'm scared of the middle place between light and nowhere