Edvard Munch

Absolutely jaw-dropping in its treatment of the man, his work, environment, and the technique in which the filmmaker conveys this all. I cannot get these uncomfortable, despondent stares out of my mind. The editing is especially phenomenal.

Of all the films I have discovered in the last couple of decades, this extremely complex, innovative and multi-dimensional masterpiece is the one that, more than any other, I would wish, with the benefit of hindsight, to have had the opportunity of seeing before embarking on my own little cinematic adventure. Watched the 221-minute version: it is a shame that the Blu-ray does not include both versions, but wonderful that it exists at all. Re-watched December 2020: now in my all-time top twenty. - Full Review

Watkins' technique of using a documentary style proves to be an excellent method for a biopic. Through narration, interviews and recreations we get an astonishingly complete portrait of the man. I feel quite educated about him and his work, and without ever having been overwhelmed by the information. Poetic touches like quick, repeated flashbacks to childhood traumas or lost loves. A superb, engaging and sometimes beautiful film, easily my favorite by Watkins so far.

Layer upon layer upon layer upon layer.... Incredible.

Much better than usual for a TV biopic. Munch did original, bizarre paintings, so, fittingly, Watkins has made an original, bizarre biography of him. Between the usage of Munch's own diaries, the nonprofessional cast, and the frequent addressing of the camera by the supporting players as if they were being interviewed, it feels like Watkins and his crew travelled back in time to 19th-century Norway, somehow explained to a terrified Munch and family who they were, and filmed a documentary there

"...images of sensuality captured like birth on film."

If you want to shut up some of these elitist snobs who don't consider cinema to be a legitimate form of artistic expression and philosophical inquiry, make them watch this one.

Wow, what an impassioned film! Distinctly inquisitive and presumptuously impulsive yet seemingly carefully structured... Sometimes there's as if Watkins seeks to "imitate" (or at least follow up on) Munch's distinctive, impressionistic sensibility, the frames becoming somewhat blurry and painterly at times, entrapping a withdrawn Munch (stirring somewhat nervously into the camera) in a foggy and somehow mystical landscape.

Unlike anything I've ever seen.

To me this is what a film ought to be (logically, ethically and aesthetically). Through the masterful layering and repetition of sound and image, overlaid with acute attention to historical detail and simultaneous appreciation for the bigger picture, Watkins constructs a compelling portrait of the love, death, loss and longing that defined the life of Munch the artist. Watkins makes all the affordances of film work for him. I consider it the best film I've seen to date.