Plot
A character study and a meditation on art in a time of opulence and syphilis. Gustave Klimt (1862-1918) lies in hospital, dying. In reveries, he recalls the early 1900s: it's fin de siècle Vienna. At the World Exposition in Paris, Klimt meets Georges Méliès, who does a moving picture for him, and Klimt falls under the spell of a woman who may be Lea de Castro. We see Klimt in his studio; we meet his mother and sister, who suffer from mental illness. We watch Klimt the libertine. On his deathbed and as a younger man, he imagines things as well: encounters with ministers and waiters and with women who are willing participants in his pleasures. Is this the source of art?
Written by
Raúl Ruiz, Gilbert Adair, Herbert Vesely
Directed by
Raúl Ruiz
Crew
Production Countries
United Kingdom, Germany, France, Austria
Production Companies
ORF, ARD, Vienna Film Financing Fund
Languages
English, Français, Deutsch
Awards
1 win & 4 nominations total