Art of Passion DVD: Review By Courtney O.

There are a few reasons to watch The Art of Passion. One is it's shot on Cape Cod in the city of Provincetown, Massachusetts, which is just lovely, rusty and romantic. Second, if you're an artist, there's always that novelty of seeing another artist's life unfold and having someone to relate to on that level, movie-wise. Thirdly, well, there is no third.

The film is largely autobiographical, based on the writer/director Arthur Bjorn Egeli's studies in art at the Cape Cod School of Art in the early 1980's. Pablo Bryant plays Steve, who is an inspired young artist painting in the way of the Impressionist masters when he finds his artistic choices challenged by a seductive Abstract painter who not only possesses a sumptuous Eastern European accent, but also an oldish husband who leaves for many days at a time.

A mecca for artists, the Cape, is it is known, boasts miles of sun-drenched beaches sprinkled with lighthouses and the famous Cape Cod-style cottages that'd make any Plein Air painter (or avid traveler) feel like they died and woke up with a brush in their hand. It really is that pretty. Note to self: Look into artist residencies there . . .

Of course, no movie about artists is complete without some kind of tangled love triangle. Do all artists sleep with more than one person at a time? No. Do all artists sleep with their models and are all models super hot? Many I'm sure wish. The truth is, artists are just people. Artists are often portrayed as these hedonistic, impulsive, promiscuous, tormented people, which is purely stereotypical. Steve is no different here. He is confused, he is at a crossroads, he is torn between lust and love. His shirt is off, and many times we'd wish he'd put it back on.

An interesting plot in the film is the confrontation between the two different schools of art: that of Plein Air Impressionist-style painting versus pure Abstract painting. Not a whole lot is uncovered here, but nonetheless, Steve is influenced by the emotional qualities of non-objective painting, and thankfully gets looser in his brushstrokes and more interesting with his compositions and gets his art show after all.

Audio Commentary with Director Arthur Bjorn Egeli

Since the story is autobiographical, director/writer Arthur Bjorn Egeli gives a more in-depth examination of the storylines and plots of the film, which is actually about three years worth of experienced condensed into a single summer.

Interviews

These were all pretty interesting as you both get to see the actors as they are now, hear about their experiences filming The Art of Passion, and also gain a little history and some inside knowledge about the film. We even get to see the historic Cape Cod School of Art as it is now, which is sadly closed.

Deleted Scenes

Many of these deleted scenes were incidentally sex scenes, or at least pieces of them. Please, no more chest hair! Save me!

Essay by Composer Michael Errington

A behind-the-scenes essay of what composer used to create the soundtrack and other tidbits of information. If reading is your thing, get your remote ready.

Photo Gallery

Photos of various scenes of the film as well as concept photos used to attract funding for the film.

Virtual Location Maps

A map of where everything is, with markers for different scenes and events from the film.

Talent Files

See everyone's headshots, read their resumes, and also catch up a little with what they've been up to since the filming of The Art of Passion.

Trailer

The original film trailer for The Art of Passion, whose working title was Unconditional Love.

Fullframe 4 x 3. Fullframe is OK, but widescreen is always nicer, especially since this film is largely about the landscape.

Dolby Digital 2.0 English; 2.0 Spanish. The soundtrack is interesting in that it's simple piano pieces echoe the simplicity of the location and yet the emotional qualities of its characters.

A figure in thick ink strokes dominates the cover along with the Title of the film. On that backside, several snapshots hint at where we are to go, to the beaches, the sand-dunes, the landscape painting that envelops the film.

This film is no Picasso, and neither is the artist. But the film has beautiful scenery, and shows the every day struggle of a small-town student/artist trying to discover what it is that he's passionate about.