Too Much of a Good Thing: “Pollock” (2000)

Ed Harris, proving that he's a better supporting actor than  a lead in his 2000 film "Pollock".

I start by saying that I know practically nothing of the life or work of Jackson Pollock, except that I have heard of him, and that he was a well-regarded painter.  I must also add that I have mixed feelings about films that feature tortured artists.  Some, like “Frida” from 2002 about Frida Kahlo, have been worth watching, mainly for the impressive performances by Salma Hayek and Alfred Molina, and the impressive art direction and musical score.  Others however, like the 1956 Van Gogh biography “Lust for Life“ can often seem too worshipful or too ’artistic’ in tone themselves.  Despite the fact that Kirk Douglas gave a hell of a performance as Vincent Van Gogh, and probably should’ve won an Oscar for it, the film itself is an overlong depressing affair, which I don’t think I could force myself to sit through again.

Ed Harris, who has had a successful middle-aged career as a sort of go to supporting actor in a wide variety of films, directed and starred in “Pollock” about a specific period of time (the 1940’s and 1950‘s) during Jackson Pollock’s life, centering on the time he was partnered with fellow artist (and wife) Lee Krasner.  As I said, Harris has been a dependable supporting actor in film since the early 1980’s, earning a handful of nominations for films such as “Apollo 13” (1995), “The Truman Show” (1998), and “The Hours” (2002), and also giving impressive performances in films stretching from “The Right Stuff” in 1983 all the way through 2005’s “A History of Violence”.  

Harris gives a showboating lead performance (and was nominated for the only time so far as a Lead Actor), and though he is usually quite effective in supporting roles, here Harris the director indulges Harris the actor by letting him overact his way through numerous drunken outbursts and psychotic episodes throughout the film.  It is in his quieter moments, however, when he isn’t trying to impress us with “performance”, that Harris the actor shines.  In the film’s other lead role, Marcia Gay Harden is solid as Lee Krasner, even if the accent is a little grating, and she has a couple of over the top scenes as well.  Harden's performance is more believable though, and it deserved recognition, yet giving her a Supporting Oscar seems a little bit of category fraud since she’s such a major part of the film.  

A true supporting performance is given by Amy Madigan (Harris’ real-life wife) as art collector Peggy Guggenheim.  Madigan plays this difficult woman with just the right shades of anger, irritation, and class that add a lot to the texture of the film, as do the gallery (pun intended) of other familiar faces in small roles (including Jennifer Connelly, Val Kilmer, and Jeffrey Tambor).  

Overall, Harris the director has a pretty straightforward style.  There aren’t any huge “wow” moments in the picture, yet it is a solidly constructed film that is respectful of it’s screenplay and of it’s actors.  If Director Harris had toned down Actor Harris just a  bit, the film might’ve had more of an impact.  Ultimately, as far as tortured artist movies go, “Pollock” belongs more to the “Lust for Life” side of the tote board than the “Frida” side.