Salvador Dalí: In Search of Immortality

The life of surrealist painter Salvador Dalí and his relationship with his wife Gala of dark origins . The latter had former loving relationships with Salvador Dali, Paul Eluard , Max Ernst and others . As the documentary deals with two enigmatic characters revolving around their outlandish and thunderous lives . This splendid documentary carries out an intimate investigation about these controversial and eccentric figures , Dali and Gala , usually living in Port Lligat and Figueras.

Focusing on Dalí and Gala in 1948 moved back into their house in Port Lligat, on the coast near Cadaqués. For the next three decades, they would spend most of their time there, spending winters in Paris and New York . As Dalí moved further towards embracing Catholicism he introduced more religious iconography and themes in his painting. In 1949 he painted a study for The Madonna of Port Lligat to Pope Pius XII during an audience arranged to discuss Dalí 's marriage to Gala. This work was a precursor to the phase Dalí dubbed "Nuclear Mysticism," a fusion of Einsteinian physics, classicism, and Catholic mysticism. As well as as this nice documentary deals with the peculiar relationship between Dali and his muse , the mysterioud Gala . As Gala had a long relationship to poet Paul Eluard with whom she married in 1927 and they gave birth a daughter , but she didn't pay her attention due to she hated maternal life . The marriage became involved into a sentimental relation with Max Ernst . Later on , she met Andre Breton, and Salvador Dali , the genius and offbeat painter , with whom fell in love and after divorcing Paul Eluard , they married in 1932 . After that , they took a time in United States where scandalized really with their outlandish ways of life and extreme eccentricity . In the documentary there are various interviews to people who had relationship with Salvador Dali and Gala . This acceptable documentary being decently realized with information and entertainment enough . Resulting to be a better than average documentary competently directed by David Pujol who also made other documentaries , such as : El Bulli - Historia de un sueño , Cadaqués, l'excepció , Dali's Last Masterpiece , Esperando a Dali and a film : La Biblia Negra. There're other cinematic biographic adaptations about these famous characters : ¨Dali¨ 1991 by Antoni Ribas with Francesco Quinn as Salvador and Sarah Douglas as Gala and ¨Gala¨ (2003) by Silvia Munt.

Adding more remarks about Salvador Dali : Born in Figueres, Catalonia, Spain, Dalí received his formal education in fine arts in Madrid. Influenced by Impressionism and the Renaissance masters from a young age he became increasingly attracted to Cubism and avant-garde movements. He moved closer to Surrealism in the late 1920s and joined the Surrealist group in 1929, soon becoming one of its leading exponents. His best-known work, The Persistence of Memory, was completed in August 1931, and is one of the most famous Surrealist paintings. Dalí lived in France throughout the Spanish Civil War (1936 to 1939) before leaving for the United States in 1940 where he achieved commercial success. He returned to Spain in 1948 where he announced his return to the Catholic faith and developed his "nuclear mysticism" style, based on his interest in classicism, mysticism, and recent scientific developments. Dalí's artistic repertoire included painting, graphic arts, film, sculpture, design and photography, at times in collaboration with other artists. He also wrote fiction, poetry, autobiography, essays and criticism. Major themes in his work include dreams, the subconscious, sexuality, religion, science and his closest personal relationships. To the dismay of those who held his work in high regard, and to the irritation of his critics, his eccentric and ostentatious public behavior often drew more attention than his artwork. His public support for the Francoist regime, his commercial activities and the quality and authenticity of some of his late works have also been controversial. His life and work were an important influence on other Surrealists, pop art and contemporary artists such as Jeff Koons and Damien Hirst. There are two major museums devoted to Salvador Dalí's work: the Dalí Theatre-Museum in Figueres, Spain, and the Salvador Dalí Museum in St. Petersburg, Florida.

I was looking for a video with a lot of Dali's artwork in it. This was all right, but had its disappointments, most notably the many of shots of art historians chatting aimlessly together. It does contain some awesome footage and information about Dali's life and character. There was great brilliance in the art, without question. But in the man? Clearly the Dali that the world knew was a confection that he cooked up, but there was real drama as well. This was worth a look, but even more worth seeing is the Dali Theatre & Museum in Figueres, Catalonia, Espana. It is an enormous old place with 5 floors stuffed with this genius's mind-bending and multi-faceted art.

This documentary was very lacking for me. Salvador Dalí was such an amazing personality. His thoughts and mind which he expressed through his master skills as a painter made him one of the highest paid painters of his time and leaders of a movement. This documentary focused almost exclusively on his two houses.

I would go so far as to say it was a documentary about the two main houses of Dalí, and Dalí was featured in his connection with them. His time in the USA and France was brushed over in a few sentences. He spent 8 years living in the USA but it it was summed in only a few sentences. His time in France even less. His life in Spain mentioned mostly about additions to the house. Even the time he spent away from the houses the movie focused on the builders work on the house rather than what Dalí was doing while away.

More talking time was given about a local he got his house from, or shack at that time, rather than hundreds of the amazing people he connected with in his life and life's work. I'd say 90% of the footage was from the houses and the other majority of visual content photos from his life.

I would liken this documentary to someone doing a documentary on Jim Carry and then focusing on his house and additions made to it. Dalí's personality, mind, thoughts and depth did not come through for me in this presentation. Left with yearning for a movie that would represent the great person, personality and mind of Dalí to the world.

I wouldn't recommend this to anyone to become enthusiastic about Dalí. I am very enthusiastic about Dalí. I don't know of anyone I would recommend this to at all.