Gauguin: Voyage to Tahiti (2017)

Focused on French painter Paul Gauguin's affair with a younger lady in Tahiti.

Director:

Edouard Deluc

Writers:

Edouard Deluc (screenplay), Etienne Comar (screenplay)

Stars:

Vincent Cassel, Tuheï Adams, Malik Zidi

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Vincent Cassel	...	Paul Gauguin
Tuheï Adams	...	Tehura
Malik Zidi	...	Henri Vallin
Pua-Taï Hikutini	...	Jotépha
Pernille Bergendorff	...	Mette Gauguin
Marc Barbé	...	Mallarmé
Paul Jeanson	...	Emile Bernard
Cédric Eeckhout	...	Meuer de Haan
Samuel Jouy	...	Emile Schuffenecker
Scali Delpeyrat	...	Hector, le marchand d'art
Victor Boulenger	...	Assistant marchand d'art
Jean-Pierre Tchan	...	Wei
Teiva Monoi	...	Onati (as Teiva Manoi)
Tiare Hoata	...	Ruita
Ponirau Maiau	...	La femme âgée du village de Tehura

Storyline

Paul Gauguin feels smothered by the atmosphere prevailing in Paris in the year 1891. Around him, everything is so artificial and conventional: he needs authenticity to renew his art. Failing to convince his wife Mette and his five children to follow him to Paradise Lost, he sets out for Tahiti alone. Once there, he chooses to settle down in Mataiera, a village far away from Papeete, installing himself in a native-made hut. He soon starts working passionately, painting and carving in a style close to the primitive art specific to the island. During his two-year stay the artist will experience poverty, cardiac problems and other displeasures but also happiness in the arms of Tehura, a beautiful young native girl.

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Plot Keywords:

painter | artist | starving artist | paris france | year 1891 | 

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Taglines:

The journey begins. (US release poster)

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Genres:

Biography | Drama | Romance

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Did You Know?

Trivia

When Paul Gauguin met Teha'amana (also called Tehura), she was 13 and he was 48. They had a daughter that lived only few days a year later.

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Quotes

Mallarmé: You're a savage, like the rest of us. But YOU have decided not to forget it.

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Connections

Featured in Stupefying!: Episode dated 2 October 2017 (2017)

User Reviews

Altogether Cassell was great in it.

Bitter sweet inspiration about a man who truly struggled for his art.

I've been a fan of Vincent Cassell for years and he is the only reason why I wanted to see this movie when I saw the poster in a near by theater. Cassell plays Paul Gauguin, an artist who was willing to give up everything: his wife, his 5 children, all to travel down to Tahiti in hopes that the journey would make him a better artist. While down there he stars a romance with a woman who becomes his muse.

Cassell, himself was so good in the movie. It was a mixed bag of emotions as Cassell portrays a very selfish man who give up way too much to become a starving artist holding on to the dream that he would find pure inspiration. It was indeed a struggle, but Cassell's performance also show a man who was focus on living his best life.

Another great yet low key performance was done by Tuheï Adams who plays Tehura, the muse who became the focus of many of Gauguin's painting. I felt the two of them together had enough chemistry to keep the movie going.

Overall, I went to see this movie for Vincent Cassell and I'm very stratified with his performance enough to be interested in the man he portrayed (ignoring how a movie set in the late 1800s is painting a clear picture of what Gentrification looks like today.) Plus Tuhei Adams was a pleasant bonus and I hope to see more of her.

Details

Official Sites:

Official site [Japan]

Country:

France

Language:

French Polynesian

Release Date:

20 September 2017 (France)

Also Known As:

Gauguin: Voyage to Tahiti

Filming Locations:

Paris, France

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$35,994, 15 July 2018

Gross USA:

$200,140

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$3,389,322

Company Credits

Production Co:

Move Movie, StudioCanal, NJJ Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

102 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1