credit:www.impawards.com
Director:
Steven Shainberg
Cast:
Nicole Kidman ………. Diane Arbus
Robert Downey Jr. ………. Lionel Sweeney
Ty Burrell ………. Allan Arbus
Jane Alexander ………. Gertrude Nemerov
Harris Yulin ………. David Nemerov
Nicole Kidman looks haggard, a camera hanging off her neck as she sits in front of a portly naked couple. A few seconds later, she is told that she must remove her clothes before being allowed to take the portrait.
The opening scene of Fur: An Imaginary Portrait Of Diane Arbus is just as strange as the rest of the movie. Strange as a descriptor, however, is not always a bad thing, and it isn’t in this case. Presented as the imaginary biography of Diane Arbus, one of the twentieth century’s most revered photographers, the audience is immediately informed that the biography is one of an imaginary nature, as the following text appears on the screen:
This is a film about DIANE ARBUS, but it is not a historical biography. Arbus, who lived from 1923 to 1971, is considered by many to be one of the greatest artists of the twentieth century. Certainly, her pictures changed the face of American photography forever.
What you are about to see is a tribute to Diane: a film that invents characters and situations that reach beyond reality to express what might have been Arbus’s inner experience on her extraordinary path.
Let’s begin with the fact that the movie is definitely not an actual depiction of Diane Arbus’ life. Married photographers do not fall for their neighbors, at least not when the neighbor is afflicted with a disease which makes them look more like Chewbacca than an actual person to borrow sugar from. And while this film is certainly not meant to be a work of science fiction, clearly a suspension of reality is required to aptly understand what director Steven Shainberg and screenwriter Erin Cressida Wilson are going for.
Known for pushing the envelope, with his sexually-charged feature, The Secretary, Shainberg has said that the Arbus project is one that had a personal significance for him. His uncle was a friend of Arbus, and Shainberg grew up with her photos on his walls, which eventually led to him beginning his own collection of her photography. After approaching his Secretary colleague, Wilson, the pair decided that they would eschew the traditional biopic, choosing instead to blend fact with fiction and mix reality with the implausible, citing Arbus’ work of the same format as their muse.
The movie revolves around some actual facts about Arbus, including her privileged childhood in the family that owned Russek’s furrier store in New York, her marriage, and her work as an assistant to her photographer-husband. These are supplemented by forged experiences, including her entire relationship with the movie’s other lead character and Diane’s “neighbor” Lionel (Robert Downey Jr.), and her obsession with seeing what 2006 audiences would call freak shows. By combining the two elements, an adequate balance is definitely achieved and it is this complicated scale where Shainberg’s mastery truly is prevalent.
The story follows Arbus as she initially approaches the strange masked neighbor who moves in upstairs. Her adventures with him lead her into a deep examination into her own sense of self and so in a twisted way, it is a coming-of-age story. Although Arbus is there to simply to take a photograph of him, Lionel helps Arbus to discover who she really is. While she is there to capture his life in a portrait, she finds herself attracted to the freedom that he enjoys. She doesn’t just photograph his existence, she lives it herself.
While the title of the movie clearly comes from the Arbus family business, it is also a reference to Lionel and one could even say that Arbus has to shed herself before she is truly free.
While there is a noticeable and admitted influence of Lewis Carroll’s “Alice In Wonderland,” on the story (considering it was one of Arbus’ favorite books), it is in this regard where the movie will either gauge or lose interest with its audience.
While employing a fictional character in an integral role is risky, the relationship between Arbus and Lionel is the heart of the movie. It is precisely this element of fantasy that will make the audience question Arbus’ complicated machinations, and while she is the heroine, she is rippled, much like the movie itself.
Obviously, the acting in the movie is strong. While Kidman did not physically resemble the character, she was Shainberg’s first choice because of her ability to capture emotion, and she plays the role well.
Robert Downey Jr. is phenomenal as Lionel. Despite the ridiculous appearance of his character at times, his eyes are completely believable. The highest compliment that can be paid to an actor is when they are cast in a role that is completely fictional, and are still able to convince the audience that there is a degree of legitimacy in what they are doing. Downey Jr. makes Lionel real, even if it is only for 122 minutes.
This is a movie that will spur debate and it is worth a look if only for that reason. If you are trying to write a paper on Diane Arbus and want to watch a movie instead of doing the research, this is not the movie for you.
If you want to see original filmmaking at its finest and a unique take on the traditional definition of biography, Fur is the ticket.
