Theo van Gogh, film director and actor: biography, creativity

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

The bright film artist, public figure, journalist Theodor van Gogh lived a short but very eventful life. Even many years after his death, his views and statements continue to disturb society, and his films only gain popularity over the years.

Early years and family

Theo van Gogh was born in The Hague on July 23, 1957. His father, Johan van Gogh, was the grandson of the brother of the painter Vincent van Gogh. The boy was named the family name Theodore, he became the third representative of the family with that name. The first was the artist's brother, who took care of Vincent all his life, and it is to him that we should be grateful for the unusual painting of van Gogh. The second Theo was a member of the Resistance in the Netherlands during World War II, he was captured and brutally executed.

Young Theo was very active and inquisitive from childhood, he studied well at school and after graduation he entered the University of Amsterdam, the Faculty of Law. But studying there seemed too boring to him, and he left without getting a higher education.

Great great-grandfather

The great-grandfather of the director is a brilliant artistVincent van Gogh is known as a unique painter and graphic artist. He had his own unique vision of the world, which he expressed in his masterpieces. He was the founder of such a movement in painting as expressionism, and he treated his paintings like children. All his life he lived in poverty, he was greatly helped by his brother Theo, who in many respects took care of Vincent's material well-being and also helped him to maintain peace of mind as much as possible. Despite his difficult and short life, van Gogh left a rich creative heritage - about a thousand paintings and the same number of drawings. The value of these works is incredibly high, so nephews and his children have always been we althy people. The artist's grandson, the director's father, decided to transfer a large collection of paintings to the state of the Netherlands for free use. The director said that he did not regret it at all, otherwise he would have spent all the money on the movie anyway.

Working in movies

After dropping out of school and moving to the city of Amsterdam, Theo decided to take up directing. He is passionately working on the amateur film "Luger". This black-and-white painting from 1982 was about a psychopath who kidnaps a mentally handicapped girl for ransom. Van Gogh himself considered the picture unsuccessful; on the day of the premiere, the director told the audience right in the auditorium that the film was bad and that they could leave immediately. Although the tape was noted by critics as an interesting art-house work. For some time the film was considered lost, and only after the death of the director was accidentally founda copy in the basement of his house.

In total, van Gogh made 13 feature films and about a dozen documentaries, four times he was awarded the Danish Film Academy for the best director. Critics believe that Theo did not have time to shoot his best films, but his most outstanding works are the film “Blind Date” (Blind Date, 1996), she was awarded the Golden Calf at the Dutch Film Festival, the tape “In the Interest of State”(In the Interest of the State, 1997), which also received an award at the San Francisco Film Festival. The last film "06.05" (2004) was dedicated to the brutal murder of Theo's friend Pim Fortuyn. He held anti-Muslim views and was an active politician, he was against the immigration of Muslims to the Netherlands, was an activist in the environmental movement, called for a ban on the wearing of natural fur. Theo is making a film-investigation (imaginary) about this scandalous murder. He did not have time to complete the editing of the film, his colleague did it.

Submission Painting

Many of Theo van Gogh's works de alt with political and sensitive topics. These pictures caused threats and a wide response, but the director did not pay attention to this, he wanted to draw attention to the injustice and problems of life. And "Submission", a film that Theo makes in 2004, also deals with the acute problem of cruel treatment of women in Islamic society. This ten-minute film was created from a script by Ayaan Hirsi Ali, a member of the Dutch Parliament and a refugee from Somalia. She herself once fled the country so as not tomarry under duress. The film tells the stories of four women, whose images are deliberately schematized to make it clear that millions of women can be seen behind their destinies. Each heroine tells what torments she had to undergo: they were beaten, raped, disposed of like a thing. In 2004, the film was shown on television in the Netherlands and caused a huge outcry. The authors said that they did not mean to offend Muslims, but simply wanted to draw attention to the problem of violence. Numerous threats began to be heard against the director, and the police even had to put guards on him and the screenwriter. But it didn't save Theo.

Other arts

Except for movies. Theo van Gogh was engaged in many other creative professions, one of them is journalism. Since 1980, he has been writing a newspaper column in which he expresses his opinion on politics, culture, news. In his journalistic texts, he was often harsh and expressed provocative opinions. Many politicians and famous people were afraid of his sharp tongue. He writes the book "Allah Knows Best", in which he condemns Islam. Theo also dabbled in acting and starred in Northerners (1992).

In addition, Theo van Gogh has been active in television since the 1990s. He hosts the weekly talk show Pleasant Chat, or The Last Ear, for which he was even named the best TV presenter in the Netherlands. Also for television, the director shoots a six-episode series "Medea". The plot is borrowed from ancient Greek tragedies, but their events are transferred to the modernpolicy.

Political views

Theo van Gogh adhered to republican views, he was even a member of a society that called for the abolition of the monarchy in the Netherlands. Theo's political views were largely radical, he rebelled against the Islamization of Europe and Holland, and supported the military invasion of Iraq in 2003. Theo did not like all religions, several times he spoke very sharply against Judaism and the Jews. On his He althy Smoker website, he has been highly critical of politicians and public figures.

Tragic death

November 2, 2004 in the morning Theo van Gogh went to work on a bicycle. On the way, Mohammed Bouyeri shot him 8 times, then he tried to cut off the director's head and stuck a knife in his chest. He also wounded the policemen who came to the rescue. The killer was immediately arrested. During the investigation, he stated that he punished van Gogh for the film "Submission", and even a few years later he said that he did not repent of his deed. He was sentenced to life in prison without parole.

Reaction to director's death

After Theo's death, the city of Amsterdam was shaken by demonstrations and actions for a long time. It was the first political assassination in Holland in 100 years. The police carried out mass arrests of people suspected of involvement in the murder and in terrorist activities. There were repeated attacks on mosques and arsons. People brought flowers and candles to the place of the murder. The unrest has not subsided to this day.since. The deputies are divided into two parts, some demand tougher laws for immigrants, others say that it is necessary to maintain liberal legislation.

The director's legacy has gained a lot of attention. The best films directed by Theo van Gogh continue to arouse the interest of the audience today.