MAPPLETHORPE

US, 2018, 104 minutes, Colour.
Matt Smith, Marianne Rendon, John Benjamin Hickey, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Mc Kinley Belcher III, Mark Moses, Brandon Skelener.
Directed by Ondi Timoner.

Robert Mapplethorpe is not exactly a household name. However, he has a considerable reputation in the American art world and in the world of successful photographers.

In some ways, his initial reputation had a kind of notoriety. He began by sketching, intending to be an artist, but became more interested in photography, especially when given a camera, finding that he had an eye for composition, for creativity with light and darkness (not using colour).

The notoriety concerned his interest in the male body, the naked body, male sexuality. While there were many changes in American society in the 1970s and 1980s, and Mapplethorpe’s photographs were admired and sold during those decades, there were still difficulties in their exhibition, raising the continued issue of the distinction between pornography and the obscene, the distinction between what is sexually arousing and what is more objectively considered human images of behaviour considered sexual.

The film offers a quick opportunity to understand Mapplethorpe and his background, some home movies excerpts, with a religious emphasis, his first communion, the staunch Catholicism of his parents.

After leaving the Navy in the late 1960s, he had a chance encounter with Patti Smith (Marianne Rendon), later to become the well-known singer, living with her, telling his parents on a visit to them that he had married her.

Patti Smith asks Robert at one stage whether he is gay and he says that he is not. However, his awareness seems to have been a late emergence and he becomes more curious, going to a gay club. When Patti Smith moves out and begins her successful career, he has the opportunity to take photos with the gift camera, finds more and more supporters, develops his talent with the camera.

Mapplethorpe begins to have sexual relationships with some of his photography subjects, encounters a benefactor, collector, Sam Wagstaff (John Benjamin Hickey) who supports him as well as having a relationship with him.

The film shows his gradual development of talent and his becoming better known during the 1970s, his success in the 1980s, his increasing frankness, the number of models and poses, some rough sexual behaviour.

Mapplethorpe’s brother, Edward, comes for advice, works as his assistant, is advised not to use the Mapplethorpe name. While Edward is hurt, he supported his brother during his final AIDS illness and his death.

The screenplay includes a religious dimension with the visit of the parish priest who gave him his first communion, the discussion about belief in God, Mapplethorpe saying that beauty and perfection were his solace instead of a God – and then his taking some photos of the priest.

It is interesting that in 1989, an exhibitor was prosecuted because of the subject matter – and here is a film of 2018, explicitly frank and watched by a wide audience.

The director has had a long career in documentary films, winning many awards. This is her first feature film.

1. The art and photography status of Robert Mapplethorpe? His life and career? His visual style? New York photographer and New York Art Society of the 70s and 80s? HIV positive, his illness and death? Controversies about his subject matter?

2. The home movie scenes indicating his childhood and growing up, especially the Catholic influence, his first Communion? His parents as staunch Catholics? Schooling, adolescent? Navy reserve?

3. New York in the late 60s to 1989? The visuals of the city? The insertion of stock footage of the city? The glimpses of personalities like Andy Warhol?

4. Matt Smith, his screen presence, impersonation of Mapplethorpe? Marianne Rendon and her impersonation of Patti Smith? The range of supporting characters, Robert and his visit to his parents with Patti, the strict father, the mother’s response? Edward, place in the family, wanting to be a photographer, coming to New York, Robert’s assistant, Robert not wanting him to use the family name? His upset, his work, talent, Robert’s opinion? Supporting his brother as he died?

5. Robert, leaving home, leaving the Navy, his sketches, trying to sell them, the chance encounter with Patti Smith in the park, their time together, bonding, her asking whether he was gay, his denial, the relationship with her? The emerging homosexual curiosity? Pretending to his parents that he was married, the visit with Patti, her leaving? Her personal career, singing? Her return presence when he was dying?

6. Sketches, stealing the sketches on the street, male physical images? His curiosity about gay clubs? Patti and Robert and trying to get into the Chelsea Hotel? The encounter with the woman with a camera, her gift, encouraging him? His moving into society, his talent with a camera, his eye for composition, light and dark?

7. The film giving sufficient indication of his development as an artist-photographer? His visual style? And the range? The greater interest in male physical appearance? The range of subjects? Visibly explicit? The models, his relationships with them? His own prostitution to raise money?

8. Going around the galleries, admiration, non-acceptance? The various patrons? The woman with the gallery and her exhibition, selling his pictures?

9. His personality, the sexual drive, yet a certain objectivity in his male gaze at male bodies? His increasing interest in sexual subjects?

10. Sam Wagstaff, collector, interest in Robert, support, the relationship? His personality, his age? His finding Robert with the other models, his disappointment? Yet his later support?

11. Milton and the other models, photography, sexual explicitness, personal anonymity? Sexual relationships? The feeling of being exploited, angers, walking out, destroying photos?

12. Robert, the changes through the 70s and his becoming better known, his reputation during the 1980s? The glimpses of celebrities in his photos, like Gregory Hines, Arnold Schwarzenegger…?

13. His final illness, on the park bench his brother, the hotdog, his illness? His brother supporting him? Patti Smith’s visit? The sending of the flowers and the nurse thinking they were from his father, but in fact flowers for a neighbouring patient?

14. The visit of the parish priest, Robert’s mother sending him, the conversation, Robert at ease, asked about it belief in God, his not believing, the priest asking where he got solace, his answer in beauty and perfection? And the priest G nearly being photographed?

15. The final information, the Mapplethorpe foundation for HIV, the controversies about exhibiting his photos, prosecutions?

16. The film made in 2018 – with the explicit presentation of many of his photos? And audiences able to deal with the explicitness of the subjects? Enhancing his reputation as an artist?