MR. TURNER
MR. TURNER
A story centred on impressions rather than a conventional plot, this film explores the life of William Turner, the English painter and master of light, portrayed by Timothy Spall, who was awarded Best Actor at the Cannes Film Festival for his performance.
"The sun is God" – these words are attributed to Joseph Mallord William Turner, the English painter who lived at the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries, renowned for his landscapes that foreshadowed Impressionism and his seascapes, most notably The Fighting Temeraire from 1839. The same focus on light and nature permeates the film dedicated to this remarkable artist.
In Mike Leigh’s MR. TURNER (2014) – largely thanks to cinematographer Dick Pope, whose work earned him a nomination for the Golden Frog Award at the Camerimage Festival – light takes centre stage, just as the titular character seeks to separate it from darkness, making it the essence of his art. Although this is a biographical film focusing on the last quarter of the master painter's life, there is little in the way of a conventional narrative structure.
Despite its two-and-a-half-hour runtime, not much happens in MR. TURNER. While the protagonist frequently returns from his travels abroad, we never see these journeys unfold. Leigh paints a portrait of Turner – played by Cannes-award winner Timothy Spall – as a man wholly dedicated to his craft, with the results of his work far more intriguing than his personal affairs.
These moments shape the image of a man who is both aloof and taciturn (though he does a fair amount of grunting), yet still craves connection with others: from his father and housekeeper to the landlady of a guesthouse, with whom he ultimately falls in love.
The director does show the artist interacting with others – quite the opposite. There are plenty of these encounters, all laced with subtle humour. For example, when asked what he's been working on, Turner replies, "A maritime theme". These moments shape the image of a man who is both aloof and taciturn (though he does a fair amount of grunting) yet still craves connection with others. This desire for connection is evident in his interactions with his father, housekeeper, and even the landlady of a guesthouse with whom he ultimately falls in love.
Text: Rafał Glapiak
MR. TURNER will be shown at special screening at The National Museum in Poznań.
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