Product: Fur - An Imaginary Portrait of Diane Arbus (2006)
Rating: 1.0
Arbus As Cheap Cliche
I have no problem with this movie being an "imaginary portrait." Diane did live inside her head, and had a very rich imagination. The premise of this movie does have merit. Unfortunately, they missed so many of the truly interesting and brave qualities Arbus had, opting instead to flatten her out into a two-dimensional 50's house wife with a few strange quirks. I find this insulting, it's as if the film maker can't imagine anyone understanding a more complex character. Or they can, but they're trying to appeal to a larger audience (which this movie didn't get anyway).But that's not the worst reductive work of this film. Allan Arbus, Diane's husband, was integral to her growth as an artist. I'm not saying this to bemoan the film not sticking to facts, but because it leads into the most interesting romantic relationship Diane had in her life: Allan Arbus. Allan and Diane adored each other. She fell in love with him when she was 14! He routinely encouraged her to get out of the house, and knew full well that she was sleeping with other people. According to the book this movie was based on, the two of them talked about it OPENLY in the 50's with friends! This is unique even today. Unfortunately, Hollywood seems to have a pathological resistance to portraying any form of open relationship in a positive light.Bottom line: this movie side steps the most interesting aspects of both Diane's and Allan's lives, and does nothing to make up for the loss.