I also picked up this film on VHS at an independent video store, and I was very taken with it. First, the film is a masterpiece of physical acting. Even thought they were speaking a number of different European languages, without subtitles, I had no problem understanding what was going on. It also makes wonderful use of surrealist imagery. I don't know a lot about Picasso, but I imagine someone who did would find this a fresh and entertaining take on the life of the man. Like a piece of Picasso's art, this movie is beyond language, I was left feeling like I knew how the man thought. If you enjoy physical comedy, this may be the most highbrow movie of that kind you'll ever see.
20 Reviews
A celebration of art
paulijcalderon22 April 2017
Gösta Ekman, you will be missed. If you enjoy comedies like "The Holy Grail" you definitely have to see "The Adventures of Picasso". This film is truly something unique. It blends humour and surrealism while at the same time featuring some of the best slapstick and satire from Swedish cinema. The sets, the effect work and the animation is all fantastic. And especially for the time it was made. There are so many strange and absurd jokes in this that I'm sure Alejandro Jodorowsky himself would have loved this. It's a celebration of the history of art that's also just a really fun time. Recommended!
Hilarious
kebman29 June 2012
If this film was much shorter, I'd give it a 10 out of 10. There are so many details to notice, filmatic as well historically. And the use of language will crack you up - at least if you know a little French or Spanish. Lots of silly slapstick and creative use of both props, sets and costumes.
All in all a very funny and silly film that, while it will certainly will keep you entertained, soon runs out of gas. Or you could say that it's a little too far between each gas station, so to speak. This is why I gave it only 7 out of 10, however the funny parts are so good that they are worth the wait.
All in all a very funny and silly film that, while it will certainly will keep you entertained, soon runs out of gas. Or you could say that it's a little too far between each gas station, so to speak. This is why I gave it only 7 out of 10, however the funny parts are so good that they are worth the wait.
Brilliant film. Sadly the US version has been censored.
richard947077 October 2004
I saw this film while in Hungary (even funnier with Hungarian subtitles - cause it looks so incomprehensible!).
Sadly, when I rented it here in the USA, I discovered that a large chunk of the film dealing with Picasso in New York during the prohibition of modern art, and his subsequent trial and escape had been ruthlessly cut by the US censors. Criminal. Can't we Americans relax and learn to laugh at ourselves, too??
Nonetheless, this is a hilarious film and, as Monty Python so often does, draws on our knowledge of history to make it's fractured-fairytale point. Strongly recommended for those who love wacky (though sometimes slightly sophomoric) humor with a light intellectual touch.
Sadly, when I rented it here in the USA, I discovered that a large chunk of the film dealing with Picasso in New York during the prohibition of modern art, and his subsequent trial and escape had been ruthlessly cut by the US censors. Criminal. Can't we Americans relax and learn to laugh at ourselves, too??
Nonetheless, this is a hilarious film and, as Monty Python so often does, draws on our knowledge of history to make it's fractured-fairytale point. Strongly recommended for those who love wacky (though sometimes slightly sophomoric) humor with a light intellectual touch.
Picasso's life in a fun-house mirror!
Computress1 March 2007
Hasse Alfredsson's and Tage Danielsson's films has always had a special place in my heart, and in particular "The Adventures of Picasso". The film is about Picasso's life and art, told through a distorted mirror.
For those not familiar with Hasse & Tage's style, it might seem to be a somewhat shallow and burlesque film, but it is more than a ordinary comedy. It also shows the trouble of becoming the victim of your own public image, and how the creativity and the personal life may suffer from it. In many ways it is a film in the same spirit as Charlie Chaplin's "The Dictator", slapstick mixed with reflection.
Pablo Picasso once said that "We all know that art is not the truth, art is a lie that makes us realize the truth" and I think that "The Adventures of Picasso" encompass this in a very nice way!
For those not familiar with Hasse & Tage's style, it might seem to be a somewhat shallow and burlesque film, but it is more than a ordinary comedy. It also shows the trouble of becoming the victim of your own public image, and how the creativity and the personal life may suffer from it. In many ways it is a film in the same spirit as Charlie Chaplin's "The Dictator", slapstick mixed with reflection.
Pablo Picasso once said that "We all know that art is not the truth, art is a lie that makes us realize the truth" and I think that "The Adventures of Picasso" encompass this in a very nice way!
International
UACW4 May 2002
This has got to be one of the most international movies ever made - there is no dialog! Any country can dub the narrative on top with no difficulty. And all that is muttered in this fantastic movie is already translated into whatever tongue be local to the moviegoers - it has dialog like 'Pablo! Pablo!' and 'Mamma! Mamma!' and 'Hauptbanhof! Nichts! Raus!' and stuff like that. It's a riot. Does it make any sense? Does it have a message? Who cares! This is Hasse & Tage at their best - and Hasse & Tage are already the best.
Very amusing
Haplo-411 February 1999
At a first glance this doesn't seem to be a good movie, but after you have watched it one must confess that it really is very funny. The movie is about the life of Pablo Picasso, but it is not a boring movie like others, instead they have chosen to make his life into, some sort of a comedy, but still they tell his story in a very interesting, and for the most time accurate with the actual events.
Love it!
veijari14 January 2002
One of the funniest films ever. I've seen this few times and I'm always laughing my *ss off... Especially as a Finn I love the scene where Picasso goes to meet Sirkka at her parents and knocks the door. Lasse Poysti (a famous Finnish(!) actor) as Sirkka's father yells "Makkara!", which isn't actually Finnish for 'Come in!' but 'Sausage!' Everyone who loves strange and absurd humor will love this movie!
Wonderful, intelligent burlesque
bvizy26 February 2000
This film is one of my favorites. I saw it in Europe for the first time and at least 5 five times since then and I still laughing loudly. It's very intelligent humor, full of love about a great man.
The only thing what shocked me is that the American version is missing many great parts. For instance the 'prohibition era' spoof is entirely cut out along with the Albert Schweitzer sketch.
Rent it out today and have a great time!
The only thing what shocked me is that the American version is missing many great parts. For instance the 'prohibition era' spoof is entirely cut out along with the Albert Schweitzer sketch.
Rent it out today and have a great time!
One of the best movies ever....yes it is!
haglunde10 February 2006
This movie contains so many weird and funny things that I think you could watch it 100 times and still discover new things in every scene! Every little detail is just so perfect and thought through. Things that you discover first after a while, i.e. that Picassos father is saying halvliter ("half liter") instead of "Heil Hitler". All the acting throughout the movie is spectacular. It has to be since all of the language in the movie (except for the narrator) is just rubbish really. Everything they "say" is enforced by acting and it's impressing how one can understand an entire movie without any real language. This is simply a thoughtful, beautiful, weird, spectacular, funny, great, epic movie. Watch it!
WOW!
dstockinger19 March 2000
Another rave review from Hungary
zs-5968227 August 2015
Curious to find out why this has resonated with Hungarian audiences so fabulously, but being from Hungary myself, I can confirm it has.
Perhaps it is because its subtle, clever symbolism is wrapped up in humour coming from traditions of the English Black Comedy and the absurd. (Hungarians took creating and deciphering meta messages of this kind to a high level during the censorship of the Eastern Block era.)
Perhaps there are other deeper psychological reasons, but I am convinced that we love this film for a good reason. It is an undiscovered gem that is enjoyable at different levels. Its detached absurd witticism is filled with emotions that go straight to the heart.
Perhaps it is because its subtle, clever symbolism is wrapped up in humour coming from traditions of the English Black Comedy and the absurd. (Hungarians took creating and deciphering meta messages of this kind to a high level during the censorship of the Eastern Block era.)
Perhaps there are other deeper psychological reasons, but I am convinced that we love this film for a good reason. It is an undiscovered gem that is enjoyable at different levels. Its detached absurd witticism is filled with emotions that go straight to the heart.
Sketch comedy-like account of Picasso's life
thomandybish1 April 2001
I found this at a local indie video store I used to frequent, and was a little surprised. But it is a good movie, with Picasso's life played for laughs(watch for Gertrude Stein and Alice B. Tolkas played by men in drag!)The humor alternates between the cerebral and the scatalogical, but it is an interesting little piece, proving that intellectuals can appreciate satire and comedy as well as anyone else.
One of the most clever and funniest movies of the 20th century
hahnerpeter17 June 2010
How can it be that people haven't discovered yet that this is one of the most clever and funniest movies of the last century? I can not tell you how many times I have seen it but I find some new jokes every time. Those cities: Madrid, Paris, London, New York -- always the same and always different and funny! The characters! The great duo of Gertrude Stein and Alice B. Toklas! Try to count how many famous personalities of the 20th century will you recognize? Burlesque, parody, circus, puns, play of words with a lot of languages and -- how strange! -- you will understand all! I have to admit that somehow this movie is moving too -- especially at the end. Unforgettable.
In the top 5 comedies ever made . I am grateful for this film breaking the language barriers
ezvara10 July 2020
Dear Friends,
In case you are a Swedish or a Hungarian person ( plus any other unexpected nationalities ) somehow interested in this film : PLEASE DO NOT QUIT ! WATCH IT !
Anyone, who is wandering here, please give it a try. You are going to see unexpectedly the unexpected. Suspence thriller movies of Hitchcock and such are still on the international top hit/ top rating lists. Alike the Monty Python bests in comedies . In the late 80's it was really a cult film in Hungary. For me it still is. With my friends from the same generation , we still are quoting / mix in the everyday conversation quotes from Picasso. Because we are Henial. Please help me not to let forgotten this gemstone. Watch, enjoy, rate .
In any other case : mortadella! mondiale ! imbecile ! idiota ! Mercredi !!!!!
All that means: SHAME ON YOU !
Anyone, who is wandering here, please give it a try. You are going to see unexpectedly the unexpected. Suspence thriller movies of Hitchcock and such are still on the international top hit/ top rating lists. Alike the Monty Python bests in comedies . In the late 80's it was really a cult film in Hungary. For me it still is. With my friends from the same generation , we still are quoting / mix in the everyday conversation quotes from Picasso. Because we are Henial. Please help me not to let forgotten this gemstone. Watch, enjoy, rate .
In any other case : mortadella! mondiale ! imbecile ! idiota ! Mercredi !!!!!
All that means: SHAME ON YOU !
Brilliant!
stonemountain1 December 2006
A wonderful film from the days when Swedish filmmakers and studios went with their hearts when making films. The humor and the absurd and lovable characters makes this one a all time favorite, as funny now as it was when i was a kid!
The settings and costumes are great along with a kind of no nonsense language that i think everyone will understand, its a Swedish film for sure but don't worry you will not have any problems with that! How bizarre that American censors cut the film, for what i say?
The movie has been re released now in Sweden, so if you search around for it you will find it!
The settings and costumes are great along with a kind of no nonsense language that i think everyone will understand, its a Swedish film for sure but don't worry you will not have any problems with that! How bizarre that American censors cut the film, for what i say?
The movie has been re released now in Sweden, so if you search around for it you will find it!
A very nice movie
gunnar.forsmark11 September 2000
This comedy is one of the funniest I ever seen. If you know the story of Picasso you will laugh at every new scene. It's a nice way of presenting a big artist and make people learn more about him. The actors are very good and some of them are among the top swedish actors.
A golden onion of art, comedy, poetry and slapstick
M_H_J19 February 2020
Completely unique, yet with a hundred nods a minute - there simply is no other movie like this. And it's cleverly made to be able to enjoy at any age, with new things to discover at every new viewing. It's a lifetime companion. If you know your art history, there are Easter eggs aplenty. But it never beats you over the head with its own cleverness, it's too busy setting up the next gag.
And there are plenty of tender emotional moments as well, sublimely delivered by a cast of some of Sweden's most acclaimed actors and actresses, and one internationally acclaimed opera singer, no less. But no Max von Sydow!
There's even animation. Sometimes, in a moment of magical realism, one of Picasso's paintings might come alive to emphasise a particularly poignant scene.
The only area where it is somewhat lacking is in the dialogue - it's almost non existent! And that's on purpose. It's an absurd fairytale about a painter, told in moving images. There *is* a narrator - which I suspect might be tacked on as a safety net, but adds a wonderful layer of self reflecting comedy to the entire affair. In the Swedish version, the movie starts off with a cheerful male voice exclaiming "Hello! My name is Elsa Beskow." Elsa Beskow (a woman) wrote and painted wonderfully illustrated children's fairytale books.
This movie takes delight in taking you by surprise in a thousand small jaw dropping ways. If you like this movie, I suspect you will watch it more than once.
And there are plenty of tender emotional moments as well, sublimely delivered by a cast of some of Sweden's most acclaimed actors and actresses, and one internationally acclaimed opera singer, no less. But no Max von Sydow!
There's even animation. Sometimes, in a moment of magical realism, one of Picasso's paintings might come alive to emphasise a particularly poignant scene.
The only area where it is somewhat lacking is in the dialogue - it's almost non existent! And that's on purpose. It's an absurd fairytale about a painter, told in moving images. There *is* a narrator - which I suspect might be tacked on as a safety net, but adds a wonderful layer of self reflecting comedy to the entire affair. In the Swedish version, the movie starts off with a cheerful male voice exclaiming "Hello! My name is Elsa Beskow." Elsa Beskow (a woman) wrote and painted wonderfully illustrated children's fairytale books.
This movie takes delight in taking you by surprise in a thousand small jaw dropping ways. If you like this movie, I suspect you will watch it more than once.
What a great fantasy!
jan_hjelm3 February 2007
Warning: Spoilers
This film is so packed with humorous details, that it takes several sittings to explore them all. If you have even a rudimentary knowledge in the languages spoken you will have plenty of fun as the dialog is truly basic - but also totally bizarre. There is a lot of wonderful art to look at too. Every painting shown could have been painted by the different artists portrayed. At the end of the movie there is a hilarious scene with Picasso having a medical exam by a Einstein-looking doctor that could be shown as a classic slapstick short film all by itself, it is very, very funny. One of my favorite characters in the film is the Nazi SS-officer with the rank of Hauptbahnhof (Main train station) who instead of saluting with the traditional "Heil Hitler!" yells "Halv liter!" (Swedish for 'Half Litre').
Picasso would love this
cegg15 April 2016
No matter how many times I watch Picasso's Adventures, I always find some new jokes hidden somewhere. The humor ranges from burlesque to subtle hints, something for everyone.
The moves takes us through Picasso's life from his birth to his deathbed.
We see him from his first strokes and his world fame with everything in between.
You probably don't even need subtitles for this one, it works without words already. One out of the dozens of times I saw this, I did watch with subtitles for every language, that actually didn't add too much for me. I enjoyed it better just going with the least amount of subtitles or no subtitles.
The moves takes us through Picasso's life from his birth to his deathbed.
We see him from his first strokes and his world fame with everything in between.
You probably don't even need subtitles for this one, it works without words already. One out of the dozens of times I saw this, I did watch with subtitles for every language, that actually didn't add too much for me. I enjoyed it better just going with the least amount of subtitles or no subtitles.
See also
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