After 40 years as an artist, Petar Tale reflects over his life’s work, the challenges and demands of the artistic mind, as well as its triumphs, joys, and passions. This short documentary is a unique and intriguing look into the world of a visionary artist whose career has spanned four decades.
Content
The format of this movie is very different from a typical documentary; rather than seeing the subject sitting in a chair, answering questions to an interviewer, this film consists mostly of the artist talking generally about his work, and is interspersed with images of him working on a large painting outside his studio.
While it seems a little odd at first, the uniqueness seems to tie in nicely with the artistic temperament. Mr. Tale certainly enjoys talking about art and I really loved seeing how his eyes lit up when talking about it. Though he seems like a very reserved individual, it is still obvious that he is very passionate about art.
My only complaint would be with the editing and placement of certain scenes. I would like the sequence of Mr. Tale creating his painting to be spaced more evenly throughout the film. It is shown early on, intercut with scenes of him talking about and showing some of his work. Then there is a long period where the work in progress is not shown. It is a little odd to see Mr. Tale showing off a finished canvas of the same size toward the beginning, as one assumes that this is the piece being worked on during the documentary.
Visual Look
In keeping with the unique format of the movie, the visual elements were also unique. The camera was moving almost constantly, rather than being stationary. This gave it a little bit of an edgy, artistic feel, although there were a couple times where the quick movements made me a little dizzy.
The interior shots were well lit, as were the multiple shots of Mr. Tale’s work. In some of the exteriors, however, there were a few harsh shadows. Though it must have been difficult shooting such close proximity as he was working, it may have been a good idea to have a grip holding a bounce card of some kind, just to get a little fill light on one side of his face. Once the sun began to set, however, the dimming light created some beautiful coloring and shadows on both the artist and his painting. However, in the shot in which Mr. Tale goes to wash his hands, the camera tilts up enough to where the sun gets into frame, overpowering the image and momentarily darkens everything.
Attempting to shoot outdoors in harsh sunlight can be such a pain, but the decision was a good one, as the location was very beautiful and lent itself to some great shots. There were a couple of beautiful inserts, such as a wide shot of Mr. Tale painting, while his little dog sat in the foreground, as well an image of his brushes in the foreground with a beautiful landscape behind them.
