The Hypothesis of the Stolen Painting

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eric b Presumably an influence on Peter Greenaway (witness "The Draughtsman's Contract" and "Nightwatching"), "The Hypothesis of the Stolen Painting" is an experimental, black-and-white feature with a pleasantly brief length (66 minutes). But don't assume the film is simple. In fact, it demands to be seen twice. An unnamed collector (Jean Rougeul) leads a tour through his reality-defying mansion, wherein six of his owned paintings are mystically recreated in three-dimensional tableaux vivant (Southern Californians familiar with Laguna Beach's Pageant of the Masters festival should easily recognize this term). The same fictional artist created all six works, and the titular "hypothesis" is that these old paintings -- otherwise, rather bland and ordinary -- are thematically linked and embed clues about a high-society scandal involving taboo homosexuality and an occult religious ceremony. The collector proposes that a missing seventh painting is key to clearing up the ambiguity, while an unseen narrator has some different ideas. The actors appearing in the tableaux are less than flawlessly frozen -- they include an unrecognizable Jean Reno in his first movie role -- and director Raoul Ruiz probably encouraged this wobbly element. Imperfect models suit a film about the imperfections of critical analysis. Recurrent Ruiz collaborator Jorge Arriagada adds a striking, modern-classical score to accompany the slow, graceful camera movements. Listen carefully and see if the singer's steady references to "incessant snow" make any sense to you. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member Ruiz constructs a unique celluloid project, unconventional to the core, with a unique purpose: to merge two drastically different art forms. Such purpose seems impossible, and a preposterous attempt to make two realms to interact in common features for reaching a hypothesis. Frankly, not even I consider that such purpose was accomplished. But what about the ride? Flawless, hypnotic, dreamlike. Such mixture of the static and the mobile speaking to us under layers of paint, wood, shadows and images through orgiastic intellectual discussions is one of the most special and spiritually satisfying experiences that cinema has offered... EVER! 100/100 Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/22/23 Full Review Audience Member A series of tableaux-vivants helps explain the links between several paintings. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/18/23 Full Review Audience Member Pas sûre d'avoir profondément compris de quoi il s'agissait ni les ressorts intimes du film. Mais la certitude d'avoir vu quelque chose de très très important. Je retire tout ce que j'ai pu dire sur la narration au cinéma. Epoustouflant Rated 4.5/5 Stars •  Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 01/24/23 Full Review Audience Member This will haunt me. It already is. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/03/23 Full Review Audience Member "Let us have wine and women, mirth and laughter Sermons and soda water the day after" Grapple your options,ladies,gents,the genuine film making of Ruiz objects any little thoughts,admiration you might have had once concerning bio-pics of well-known artists.There is no art without human challenge,thus there is no "real" adventure without a guidance! No fundamental plot,nonetheless,a canvas of surreal hypothesis.Unlike anything you've seen before... p.s.: Byron's verses I used in the beginning are the absolute possession of the "artist" inside the film. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/27/23 Full Review Read all reviews

The Hypothesis of the Stolen Painting

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