Chagall

The career of Marc Chagall (1887-1985) spans the greater part of the twentieth century. This film, made shortly before the artist's death, reflects on Chagall's artistic achievement and the intriguing autobiographical clues to his complex self-image. Chagall's heady, dreamlike imagery and luminous colours have made him one of the most popular modern artists, and these qualities are beautifully represented here not only by many fine examples of his paintings but also by such large-scale projects as his vast theatrical backdrops and the ceiling of the Paris Opéra. His later work in stained glass exemplifies his ability to 'paint in light', and Chagall is shown here engaged in the collaborative process of creating a stained-glass window. Through the eyes of a young contemporary artist working in Paris, this film reconstructs Chagall's life and career, untangling his intricate self-mythologizing and providing a fresh assessment of this most alluring but elusive of the twentieth century's great artists.