War is a compelling stimulus to the imagination, creating some of our richest and most powerful artistic inspiration. Oscar-winning actor Eddie Redmayne takes an intensely emotional journey, visiting artists’ studios, museums and travelling to battlefield locations to shine a powerful light into the abyss of warfare, where War Artists have left a unique legacy.
Redmayne, who studied History of Art at Cambridge University, meets contemporary war artists, soldiers and historians and travels on locations to Flanders where he comes face to face with reminders of the fallen.
Says Redmayne: “I have attempted as an actor to play someone from the First World War and of course when prepping you do as much research as you can. You try and imagine what it was like to be living like that, to be on the ground. But with that period I have always found it impossible – not photography, nor accounts could really ever capture that horror. But for me it was the Art and all sides of that Art, people trying to depict the undepictable that perhaps came closest.”
The First World War had more serving artists than any other war in history. Redmayne explores the iconic canvasses of the Great War – Paul Nash, Stanley Spencer, John Singer Sargent and Henry Tonks, as well as the modernists C.R.W. Nevinson and David Bomberg, whose controversial art responded to the weaponry of the new machine world in revolutionary new forms, changing the artistic landscape forever. Redmayne travels behind the scenes to see war art hidden away from public view – some censored, some never seen on film before.
The challenge for artists of depicting war continues today. Redmayne meets contemporary war artists to see how this art form is as vital now as it ever was, including George Butler (Syria) and Graeme Lothian (Afghanistan), reportage artist Julia Midgley and official war artist Peter Howson (Bosnia), whose work was censored.
Director Margy Kinmonth says: “ The war artists were not just observing the conflict, their inventiveness also played a part in helping to fight the enemy. My film uncovers the innovation, bravery and creativity of the war artists, showing work never before seen on film, some of which was censored by the authorities which had commissioned it. I was interested in the many artefacts, like long lost sketchbooks, left behind to help us to piece together the picture, one hundred years later.”
Press Quotes
…Redmayne’s art skills lay bare horrors of war…
…Array of talents…
…Redmayne plays the piano on score composed for programme…
…fascination with the artists…
…documentary maker Margy Kinmonth…
…graphic…chambers of horrors…retrieved from the vaults…
…Redmayne composes own painting…THE SUNDAY TIMES – 17 May 2015
…Heartfelt and thoughtful film…
…Shares his love for work of the first world war painters…
The Art of War…
…[Redmayne’s] Love of art inspired pilgrimage to Flanders and a moving documentary…..
…Redmayne nurtured a passion for art…
…Genuine enthusiasm for subject…
…high profile figure…
…find a weird beauty in it…
…intelligent interviewer…
…expert insight into creations…RADIO TIMES – 24 May 2015
…Horrors of war inspired some of the world’s most powerful works of art…
MAIL CRITICS CHOICE 4 stars ****
…Informed tutor…
…Evocative depictions of battle…
…innovative…
…shocking for portraying horror over valour…
MAIL ON SUNDAY – PICK OF THE DAY 4 stars ****
…How horrors of war have created some of the world’s most powerful works of art…
EXPRESS CRITICS CHOICE 4 stars **** – 23 May 2015
…The harrowing horrors of war and peace….
…strength and detail…
THE TIMES 3 stars – 25 May 2015
Chance to see another side of Oscar winning actor Eddie …
… heart throb …knows his artistic onions…
…interesting subject played with passion and knowledge by Eddie…
TV TIMES HIGHLIGHTS 3 stars – 23 May 2015
…Emotional journey into world of war art…
…Sees war art normally hidden from view…
DAILY MAIL – PICK OF THE DAY 3 stars – 23 May 2015
An interesting subject explained with passion and knowledge by Eddie.
TV TIMES – Sunday Highlights
…takes his parallel universe place on television (be nervous James Fox and Alistair Sooke)…
…confident authority…
SUNDAY TIMES CULTURE – CHOICE – 24 May 2015
…not just an Oscar winning actor, he’s a history of art graduate…
…Redmayne articulate informed animated…
…Evocative scene in Flanders in darkness as Redmayne walks through Nash’s painting…
…Sees why this art form is so vital…
…makes something beautiful out of something tragic…
THE TIMES – PICK OF THE DAY – 24 May 2015
…a natural curiosity and eloquence…
…engaging…affecting…
…eloquence and enthusiasm immersed you in the subject…
…lets his personality come through…
THE INDEPENDENT – 24 May 2015
…art buff…knowlegable guide…captures horror and brutality of war like never before…
THE TIMES
…explores how conflict has inspired creativity…
…reveals unique legacy left by war artists…
OBSERVER – PICK OF THE DAY – 24 May 2015
Passion for war art…
…stark reminder of how many men died for their country…
…uncovers pieces of art never before seen on telly…
…Thought-provoking telly…
SUN – PICK OF THE DAY
…explores how conflict inspired creativity…
SUNDAY TELEGRAPH – TV CHOICE – 24 May 2015
…Expertise…
Expounds on great war painters…
THE INDEPENDENT – TV HIGHLIGHTS – 23 May 2015
…Long before he was an Oscar winning actor Eddie was an art history student….
TELEGRAPH – WHAT TO WATCH – 23 May 2015
…armed with history of art degree, Eddie Redmayne perfectly placed to examine war art and how conflict has sparked imagination…
TOTAL TV GUIDE – PICK OF THE DAY – 24 May 2015
…How conflict inspired creativity…
HEAT MAGAZINE – 24 May 2015
…Explores horrors of war
TV CHOICE – TODAY’S CHOICE – 24 May 2015
Director Margy Kinmonth has made a captivating film, beautiful to watch and full of new facts mainly about soldiers and artists who painted during the First World war but you also meet contemporary war artists, see their work and hear their story. Kinmonth’s films are always engaging because they have few talking heads. In this film we follow Oscar award-winning actor and art historian Eddie Redmayne as he talks about the art, makes discoveries and meets people. Kinmonth says the film shows: “The power of art to give us a window through to what happened [during the war]”. Kinmonth has made other films about art, including Royal Paintbox and Hermitage Revealed, and she has become known for bringing art to life. She says she enjoys: “Taking what could be seen as a minority subject to a very wide audience … they are slightly more difficult to do … you don’t pre-write the script, I’m pretty definite about that, I think it’s a bad idea … I tend to stand by the camera so you have a sense of a conversation with people, so you don’t have a lecture or a hectoring tone, it is quite a gentle and intimate look at something that someone cares a lot about.” Well worth a look, I’ll be watching it again it’s so good.
NOTTING HILL POST – 22 May 2015
