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Basquiat is a 1996 {{biopic}} film centering on Jean-Michel Basquiat, a prolific yet troubled artist who lived from 1960 to 1988.[[note]]While Basquiat was not primarily a musician, he is frequently counted among the notorious “27 Club” of celebrities who died at that age, including Music/JanisJoplin, Music/KurtCobain, and Music/AmyWinehouse.[[/note]] It is the first film directed by painter Julian Schnabel, who knew Basquiat personally.
Over the course of the film Jean-Michel (then unknown Creator/JeffreyWright) works odd jobs and hangs out with best friend Benny Dalmau (Creator/BenicioDelToro) and girlfriend Gina Cardinale (Creator/ClaireForlani). All the time he is compulsively working on his art and WaitingForABreak. The break comes first when he’s discovered by art critic Rene Ricard (Creator/MichaelWincott), and even more so when art superstar Creator/AndyWarhol (longtime Warhol fan Music/DavidBowie) takes him under his wing. That doesn’t mean that Basquiat’s troubles are over, though.
The film’s cast also includes Creator/DennisHopper, Creator/ParkerPosey, Creator/GaryOldman, Creator/ElinaLowensohn, and Creator/PaulBartel. Making brief appearances are Creator/WillemDafoe, Music/CourtneyLove, Creator/TatumONeal, and [[OneSceneWonder of course]] Creator/ChristopherWalken, as well as Creator/SamRockwell as a street thug who beats Jean-Michel. Music/JohnCale oversaw the music score and his cover of Music/LeonardCohen’s “Hallelujah” plays over the end credits.
!Tropes:
* TheEighties: The film covers Basquiat’s rise and fall, which all took place for a few years in that decade, and that’s reflected in the film’s look.
* AuthorAvatar: Albert Milo, the successful artist played by Gary Oldman, is a fictional stand-in for Schnabel. Schnabel’s daughter Esther even plays Milo’s daughter with the same given name.
* BigApplesauce: Like most of Basquiat’s life (he was born in Brooklyn) the entire film takes place in UsefulNotes/NewYorkCity. Given some of the things that happen on the street it also borders on BigRottenApple.
* CampGay: Rene Ricard is flamboyant and given to saying things like “When it comes to me and mounting, the rougher the better.” {{Averted| trope}} with [[StraightGay Andy Warhol]].
* DrugsAreBad: Through most of the film Jean-Michel smokes, snorts, and shoots anything he can get his hands on. He [=ODs=] at one point in the film and Gina arrives just in time to revive him. Later on he gets clean, but a WhereAreTheyNowEpilogue title card informs the viewer that he died by drug use in 1988.
* TheGhost: While Walken’s interviewer mentions the fact that Basquiat has dated Music/{{Madonna}}, she isn’t depicted in the movie.
* HappierHomeMovie: After Andy dies Jean-Michel watches home movies Andy made of the two of them. In an unusual touch Schnabel uses stock footage of the actual Warhol and Basquiat.
* AMinorKidroduction: The film starts with a young Jean-Michel seeing his mother moved to tears by a Creator/PabloPicasso painting, which is implied to have set him on his path to becoming an artist.
* ParentalSubstitute: Rene Ricard and Andy Warhol both act as father figures for Jean-Michel, as he’s alienated from his biological father. Andy’s death causes Jean-Michel to break down in much the same way the death of a parent might.
* SpeechImpediment: Jean-Michel suffers something like a stutter, tripping over his words at several dramatic points.
* StarvingArtist: Rene Ricard writes in his journal about the potential of finding a great artist living in poverty a la Creator/VincentVanGogh. Jean-Michel, who comes from an upper middle class family, is destitute by choice at the start of the film.
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Over the course of the film Jean-Michel (then unknown Creator/JeffreyWright) works odd jobs and hangs out with best friend Benny Dalmau (Creator/BenicioDelToro) and girlfriend Gina Cardinale (Creator/ClaireForlani). All the time he is compulsively working on his art and WaitingForABreak. The break comes first when he’s discovered by art critic Rene Ricard (Creator/MichaelWincott), and even more so when art superstar Creator/AndyWarhol (longtime Warhol fan Music/DavidBowie) takes him under his wing. That doesn’t mean that Basquiat’s troubles are over, though.
The film’s cast also includes Creator/DennisHopper, Creator/ParkerPosey, Creator/GaryOldman, Creator/ElinaLowensohn, and Creator/PaulBartel. Making brief appearances are Creator/WillemDafoe, Music/CourtneyLove, Creator/TatumONeal, and [[OneSceneWonder of course]] Creator/ChristopherWalken, as well as Creator/SamRockwell as a street thug who beats Jean-Michel. Music/JohnCale oversaw the music score and his cover of Music/LeonardCohen’s “Hallelujah” plays over the end credits.
!Tropes:
* TheEighties: The film covers Basquiat’s rise and fall, which all took place for a few years in that decade, and that’s reflected in the film’s look.
* AuthorAvatar: Albert Milo, the successful artist played by Gary Oldman, is a fictional stand-in for Schnabel. Schnabel’s daughter Esther even plays Milo’s daughter with the same given name.
* BigApplesauce: Like most of Basquiat’s life (he was born in Brooklyn) the entire film takes place in UsefulNotes/NewYorkCity. Given some of the things that happen on the street it also borders on BigRottenApple.
* CampGay: Rene Ricard is flamboyant and given to saying things like “When it comes to me and mounting, the rougher the better.” {{Averted| trope}} with [[StraightGay Andy Warhol]].
* DrugsAreBad: Through most of the film Jean-Michel smokes, snorts, and shoots anything he can get his hands on. He [=ODs=] at one point in the film and Gina arrives just in time to revive him. Later on he gets clean, but a WhereAreTheyNowEpilogue title card informs the viewer that he died by drug use in 1988.
* TheGhost: While Walken’s interviewer mentions the fact that Basquiat has dated Music/{{Madonna}}, she isn’t depicted in the movie.
* HappierHomeMovie: After Andy dies Jean-Michel watches home movies Andy made of the two of them. In an unusual touch Schnabel uses stock footage of the actual Warhol and Basquiat.
* AMinorKidroduction: The film starts with a young Jean-Michel seeing his mother moved to tears by a Creator/PabloPicasso painting, which is implied to have set him on his path to becoming an artist.
* ParentalSubstitute: Rene Ricard and Andy Warhol both act as father figures for Jean-Michel, as he’s alienated from his biological father. Andy’s death causes Jean-Michel to break down in much the same way the death of a parent might.
* SpeechImpediment: Jean-Michel suffers something like a stutter, tripping over his words at several dramatic points.
* StarvingArtist: Rene Ricard writes in his journal about the potential of finding a great artist living in poverty a la Creator/VincentVanGogh. Jean-Michel, who comes from an upper middle class family, is destitute by choice at the start of the film.
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