Nicole Kidman as Diane Arbus peers through a small door in An Imaginary Portrait of Diane Arbus
As long as there has been film, writers, directors, and audiences alike have been obsessed with capturing the real lives of significant figures. In 1906, the first full-length feature of any kind—The Story of the Kelly Gang—told the story of Australian outlaw Ned Kelly.
The biopic has fascinated audiences for a long, long time. From Amadeus to I, Tonya to Oppenheimer, it’s a genre that lends itself to acclaim and rewards unique framing for its subject. It’s only natural that the genre inspires some imaginative, subversive, and non-traditional takes on biography. Diane Arbus was an American photographer who defined her artistic lens by breaking the rules of the art form. Her photographs challenge viewers’ ideas about portraiture, art, and beauty even fifty years after her death. So it's no wonder director Steven Shainberg followed his boundary-pushing film, Secretary, with a lofty, artistic exploration of her life. In Fur: An Imaginary Portrait of Diane Arbus, Shainburg similarly breaks the rules of biopics to create a worldview-defining romance for Diane. A mysterious stranger, Lionel , is a recluse in Diane’s apartment building. Their paths cross as Diane finds herself less and less inspired by her husband’s standard photography business. Whereas Lionel is a former sideshow artist, isolating himself because of how society responds to his hypertrichosis. Inspiration Is Seduction in ‘Fur: An Imaginary Portrait of Diane Arbus’ Close The film positions Diane’s performance of standard middle-class femininity—wife, mother, her husband’s assistant—as an act of seclusion that parallels Lionel’s full-body disguises and solitude. She first sees Lionel, hidden behind his full face covering, as she peers out of a window. Inside, her husband, Allan , is photographing a fashion and advertising event. As a man’s voice drones on about products, Lionel and Diane share a moment of eye contact. It rattles her. Kidman gives a master class on repressed discomfort when she makes her way back to the event. As she speaks about what she does to assist the models and her husband, she breaks down. Lionel represents authenticity, calling to her from just outside her gilded cage. When her husband checks in on her that night, she confesses that she stepped outside and unbuttoned her dress on the porch. He’s nice about it, just as he is when she begins to kiss his neck, but her sensuality is inappropriate and even comedic to him. He laughs at her expressions of dissatisfaction, her worries that she doesn’t fit into their life, and her desire. By contrast, everything with Lionel feels immediately sensual. The passing glances, the sound of his record player climbing up through her vents, his hair clogging her drains—all of it is as much a seduction as it is an inevitability. Robert Downey Jr. And Nicole Kidman Show Ground Absurdity With Their Strength as Traditional Actors As Lionel becomes Diane’s muse—a flip in how gender roles are most often portrayed in the art world—the score, cinematography, and overall design are increasingly evocative. Photography sets and her clean-cut style combine to portray her life as a doll’s life. Her world is a dollhouse. Whether she’s against the fake backdrops of her husband’s work or preparing dinner for her family, there’s a sense that Diane is only playing house. Windows, keyholes, vents, and peepholes all serve as symbolic barriers between Diane and Lionel, but really between Diane and her creative inner world. As she steps into her own, the audience views Diane through these small openings as Diane might’ve viewed her subjects through her lens. A cage around relics of Lionel’s time as a circus performer in the basement is more than just another barrier. It suggests that he’s as trapped by rigid roles and expectations as she is. To get to Lionel’s apartment, Diane must traverse a winding spiral staircase. In this section of the apartment, it’s still technically public space, but the deep blue, chipped paint along the walls contrasts with the trendy, mainstream wallpaper of the rest of the space. It’s more dilapidated, but it’s also more honest. Related It Nearly Ended Meg Ryan’s Career — But This Erotic Neo-Noir Featuring Mark Ruffalo Deserves a Second Look This neo-noir from Jane Campion cuts into classic romantic ideas - literally. Posts The ultimate appeal of Fur: An Imaginary Portrait of Diane Arbus lies in the allure of this domestic labyrinth. Two performers that define their era act their way through a labyrinth they’ve unknowingly shared for years. Downey drops his more sardonic tendencies for a sincere, but still deadpan playfulness. Likewise, Kidman’s vulnerabilities aren’t wrapped in the tangle of wealth and forbearance that has defined her career more recently. Diane is falling apart at the seams, and she invites Lionel to unravel her further. Somewhere between a 90s erotic thriller and more ambiance-dependent romantic dramas, it's a perfect film for creatives who want heavy characterization first in their storytelling.Steven Shainburg Frames His Audience as Artistic Voyeurs Together, Downey and Kidman do some of their most vulnerable work as their characters humanize each other in defiance of acceptable society. Fur: An Imaginary Portrait dares viewers to let go of what usually informs an artist's work, and their expectations of biopics, for a fairy-tale exploration of what Arbus’ portraits make them feel. Instead of chronicling Arbus’ life or over-intellectualizing her work, Shainberg invites us to be part of her creation. Creativity is as much a lifeline to her as it is a calling, and in those circumstances, muse begets muse. Your Rating close 10 stars 9 stars 8 stars 7 stars 6 stars 5 stars 4 stars 3 stars 2 stars 1 star Rate Now 0/10 Your comment has not been saved Like Fur: An Imaginary Portrait of Diane Arbus R Drama History Release Date August 30, 2006 Runtime 122 minutes Director Steven Shainberg Writers Erin Cressida Wilson Producers Andrew Fierberg, Bonnie Timmermann Cast See All Powered by Expand Collapse
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