The Mystery of Picasso

Famed French suspense specialist Henri-Georges Clouzot concentrates upon a real-life enigma in The Mystery of Picasso. While we are treated to several scenes of the legendary Spanish artist at work, explanations of his inspiration are not always forthcoming. As with Pablo Picasso's paintings, this documentary is meant to be experienced, not understood. The in-progress paintings displayed in The Mystery of Picasso were destroyed by the artist after the film was completed, thus this feature-length documentary has in the past forty years assumed the status of "Must See." The brilliant Technicolor cinematography was the handiwork of Jean Renoir's nephew Claude. Mystery of Picasso was released in America by United Artists.