The movie Jean-Michel Basquiat: The Radiant Child is a very informative and enjoyable documentary in the sense that it is presented to the viewer differs from that of your typical documentary. The overall atmosphere of the movie is very upbeat and keeps your attention on the content of the film. Throughout the movie, you get to see real works of Jean-Michele Basquiat and you also get to hear opinions and views of those he was surrounded by. Basquiat had a very interesting life to begin with, but the film does well at conveying his struggles and his ideas, not only through Basquiat’s eyes, but through the eyes of those around him. Several interviews with those who were close to Basquiat were included in the documentary and many times those people were asked of their own personal views and opinions of Basquiat and his artworks. In an interview with Nicholas Taylor, who was a member of the band Gray, the interviewer allows Taylor to speak about Basquiat and the band’s ability to produce music that did not follow the guidelines of what music “should be”. The film touches on key points of Basquiat’s life such as his running away at a young age, his beginning of the group SAMO, and then his life as a famous artist. The way the film introduces all these topics to the audience makes you feel closer to Basquiat himself personally. For example, when the people who were actually there and participated in these events are interviewed, like Nicholas Taylor and Suzanne Mallouk, and speak about what it was like to physically be there and participate in some of Basquiat’s biggest life events such as the creation of SAMO and Gray, you get a very strong representation of who he was and what he was about.
Jean-Michel Basquiat: The Radiant Child does a very good job of touching on every event of Jean-Michele Basquiat’s life, and not centering around one particular event. The movie begins by introducing the main character and describing his personality and his life at home. It then leads to his start as an artist with his group SAMO and even touches on the band he started called Gray, followed by his upcoming as a famous artist.
I personally like that the movie touches base with not only his accomplishments but also the difficulties that came with his overnight fame. The documentary touches base with the discrimination issues he faced and also the scrutiny of his painting style. Basquiat had a very unique and outgoing painting style that the art world didn’t fully appreciate when Basquiat was first introduced to them. Basquiat had issues getting his work displayed in museums because of this issue and the movie conveys to us how Basquiat digested this and also how he responded.
When watching the documentary, I found that it really roped in your attention and kept you watching with enthusiasm. I enjoyed the way they included both interviews with Basquiat and interviews with the people around him so that the viewer could get a view from all angles of Basquiat’s life. I feel that this is because Basquiat wasn’t the typical famous artist because he wasn’t born into fame, he came from practically nothing and he worked to make something of himself. This aspect contributes to the feeling of connecting to the main character and feeling like you truly know him by the end of the film.
The film touches base on the racial issues in New York at the time of Jean-Michel Basquiat. This had a huge impact on Basquiat’s career. I like how the film not only educated the viewer on the specific instances that racism affected Basquiat, but also how he reacted and how he dealt with this huge issue in his life. Basquiat was asked “You like being called the black Picasso?” and his response displays respect for Picasso and flattery for being compared to him, but also his disapproval and his unhappiness with the racial aspect of the question. In the artworks painted by Basquiat, we see very many references to racism and the history of black people. These paintings and events in his life had a large impact on Basquiat’s fame and his overall living experience in New York.
When Basquiat became very famous, he started becoming paranoid about the people around him and struggled with the worry of others using him for his fame and wealth. The movie does a good job of putting these feelings on display and supporting these feelings with his minimal support system and resources in his upbringing. In the beginning, the film talks about how Basquiat ran away from home and planned to live his life as a bum. It also mentions that Basquiat would go to clubs and look for money on the floor, and how he would go to the bar often, but wouldn’t ever buy a drink because he couldn’t afford to.
Another aspect of Basquiat’s life the I appreciate the movie exploring is Jean-Michel Basquiat’s drug addictions. Several of the people from his life that were interviewed in the documentary bring up his drug addiction and even convey drugs as a part of who he was. Since Basquiat died of a heroin overdose, I think it is respectable and necessary to talk about Basquiat’s drug addiction and how it may have been impacting his artworks and his personal relationships with those around him
Andy Warhol was a very good friend of Basquiat and may have been his biggest support system as an artist. Warhol admired Basquiat’s artwork instead of demeaning it like many other artists and critics. The documentary explains how Warhol felt about Basquiat and how they collaborated and connected personally. As with many other accomplishments Jean-Michele Basquiat had, collaborating with the famous Andy Warhol came with many negative reactions and scrutiny. Basquiat’s relationship with Warhol was extremely strong, and when he died Basquiat didn’t cope well, stating that he was overusing heroine. The documentary describes Basquiat’s negative coping mechanisms and how it was impacting him. Basquiat grew into a deep denial and bad position and he was caught up in a turmoil of drugs, art, and remorse.
Overall, and in my opinion, the film does a very good job of conveying Basquiat’s life story to its audience. I like the way it uses interviews from Basquiat and also several individuals who were close to him to give you a good look at the life he lived and from all angles of perspective. You get a strong feeling when watching the documentary and the details that are included are conveyed in a way that makes you feel connected to Basquiat and like you can relate to him on a personal level. By incorporating so many outlooks on Basquiat’s life in his time, there is no bias or specific influence as to how the viewer should digest the movie. I liked the multiple angle approach that was conveyed in Jean-Michel Basquiat: The Radiant Child.
