Lust for Life (1956)

James Donald: Theo Van Gogh

Photos 

Quotes 

• Theo Van Gogh : Hiding away here. Wasting you're time. You've become an idler.

  Vincent Van Gogh : An idler. Yes. But there are two kinds of idlers. There's the man who's idle because he wants to be, out of laziness. How easy that is. I envy him. But, there's the other kind. The man who's idle in spite of himself. I want nothing *but* to work. Only, I can't. I'm in a cage. A cage of shame and self-doubt and failure. Somebody, believe me, I'm caged. I'm caged and I'm alone. I'm frightened.

  Theo Van Gogh : Vincent, listen to me. When we were children, I used to follow you about. If I was frightened, I'd run to look for you. If I got lost, you'd always come to find me. We're still brothers. We're friends. We can trust one another. That's stronger than any cage.

• Theo Van Gogh : [approaches Vincent's hospital bed and sits down]  Vincent, I've just been with Dr. Rey. You're doing very well, and quite soon you'll be able to travel. Johanna and I want you to...

  Vincent Van Gogh : [interrupts]  Theo, I want to have myself committed. I want to go to an asylum. I have to Theo. Anymore of these attacks could leave me helpless, like a crab on its back, unable even to do away with myself.

  Theo Van Gogh : Vincent, you could come and live with us in Paris and have a reasonable life. You'll see that none of this ever happens again.

  Vincent Van Gogh : How, Theo? Will you and Johanna take turns watching me? Make sure the symptoms aren't coming back? When your baby's born... I'm a danger to others. I'm a danger to myself. Believe me, I'll be better off in an asylum.

  Theo Van Gogh : Vincent don't, you mustn't think like that.

  Vincent Van Gogh : Find a place for me to go, please.

  [smiles and grabs Theo's hand] 

  Vincent Van Gogh : I want to be sane. It won't be for long, just long enough for me to find a little order in my life; a little peace.

  [the scene fades out] 

• Vincent Van Gogh : What is it that came between father and me? Why couldn't I have shown him a little more consideration, given him some pleasure while he was alive? It wouldn't have hurt me to come to his church once in awhile.

  Theo Van Gogh : We always assume there's time, and that we can give love on our own terms. Then one day we wake up and find that it's too late to give it on any terms.

• Tersteeg : Well no offense meant, but you'll be better off without him around your neck.

  Theo Van Gogh : I think I'm the best judge of that.

  Tersteeg : No, the worst. You've been pushing his paintings, and every time you do that we lose a customer. As your employer, I tell you for your own good: your love for Vincent has blinded your judgement. It's effected your work.

  Theo Van Gogh : Please don't let's wrangle again about that! I'll go on fighting for every good painter who deserves to be recognized, and Vincent is one of them. He, he could be the best of them!

  Tersteeg : What? Hmm, you're his brother. You're emotional about him.

  Theo Van Gogh : Well that has nothing to do with it.

  Tersteeg : Well what is it when you brood about him? When you agonize over his every failure? When you support him to the point of denying yourself? You save every letter he wrote as-as though it w-were Holy Scriptures. Oh come now Theo, don't you really think you've done enough for him?

  Theo Van Gogh : How much is enough... for a man who's struggling with himself the way Vincent is? Oh I know he's crude and quarrelsome and excitable, but inside that tormented head of his there's - there's something wonderful. In those letters, there's a gifted man - a tender man, and there's far more passionate beauty and strength in his work than there is in half the stuff you see in the museums today. I wonder if there will ever come a happy time for him. It seems impossible for him to have a quiet life.

  Tersteeg : The change may do him good. Maybe he'll find himself.

  Theo Van Gogh : Or will he only find more loneliness?

• [last lines] 

  Vincent Van Gogh : I acted like a joke with this whole sorry business if it wasn't for the trouble I've caused you. At least if you'd gotten back the cost of paint and the canvasses.

  Theo Van Gogh : It doesn't matter.

  Vincent Van Gogh : Is the baby really better?

  Theo Van Gogh : Huh, yes. We were worried about nothing, h-h-he was just teething, that was all.

  Vincent Van Gogh : I hope he has a quieter soul than mine. And mine's sinking... sinking... Theo, Theo... I'd like to go home...

  [lets go of his pipe as he passes away] 

  Theo Van Gogh : [takes Vincent's pipe, gets choked up, and leans on his brother in grief]  My own brother; my poor, poor brother.

  [scene fades out] 

  Sister Clothilde : [camera zooms out on his painting Wheat Field Behind Saint-Paul Hospital with a Reaper and closes the movie with a recount of a prior poignant conversation held about the piece]  It doesn't seem a sad death.

  Vincent Van Gogh : Oh it's not Sister. Happens in a bright daylight, the sun flooding everything in a light of pure gold.

  [the End and credits] 

• Johanna : Vincent!

  Vincent Van Gogh : Hello, Johanna, it's good to see you.

  Johanna : It's about time.

  Vincent Van Gogh : You're just as pretty as I thought you'd be.

  Johanna : Don't you think he looks well, Theo?

  Theo Van Gogh : He looks better than I do.

  Vincent Van Gogh : Where's the baby? When I do get to see him?

  Johanna : He's asleep, but since he's your namesake, you can go in.

• Theo Van Gogh : Vincent, what have you done to yourself? What's happened to you?

  Vincent Van Gogh : I was sick for a while, but I'm all right now.

  Theo Van Gogh : Doesn't anyone look after you? I'd better go and get you some food.

  Vincent Van Gogh : Don't go, Theo, stay and talk.

  Theo Van Gogh : Where's the nearest place where I can...

  Vincent Van Gogh : Please don't go, Theo. It's been such a long time.

• Theo Van Gogh : Vincent, what are we going to do about you? Father wrote and ask me to come find you. For months he's not heard from you.

  Vincent Van Gogh : There's nothing to tell.

  Theo Van Gogh : What right have you to decide that? You cut yourself off from everybody, even from me.

• Vincent Van Gogh : Would you be able to sell this?

  Theo Van Gogh : I'll try. It's hard to sell any of the new painters, even those with some sort of name. You know how Goupil's begrudges me the little space I can get for them.

  Vincent Van Gogh : Then why don't you leave Goupil's, set up for yourself? Why waste time with idiots like that?

  Theo Van Gogh : Vincent, don't tell me how to run my life!

• Theo Van Gogh : Vincent, all we have is what we can give each other. Nothing would bring me more joy than to sell one of your paintings. I show them whenever I get a chance.

• Theo Van Gogh : Vincent, uh... it's all good, all of it. The important thing is that one day it could be... *sublime*. Well between then and now, there's one thing you can do for me, a little thing is all I ask: let me get a night's sleep.

  [turns and heads to bed as the scene fades out] 

• Tersteeg : No offense meant, but you'll be better off without Vincent around your neck.

  Theo Van Gogh : I think I'm the best judge of that.

  Tersteeg : No, you're the worst. You've been pushing his paintings too hard, and every time you do, we lose a client. As your employer, I tell you for your own good, your love for Vincent has blinded you. It's effected your work.

  Theo Van Gogh : Don't let's argue again about that. I'll go on fighting for every good painter who deserves to be recognized, and Vincent is one of them.

• Theo Van Gogh : Vincent, I've just spoken with Dr. Rey. He says you're doing very well, and quite soon you'll be able to travel. Johanna and I want you to...

  Vincent Van Gogh : Theo, I want to have myself committed. I'm going to go to an asylum.

  Theo Van Gogh : What?

  Vincent Van Gogh : I have to, Theo. More of these attacks could leave me helpless, like a crab on its back, unable even to do away with myself.

  Theo Van Gogh : Vincent, come live with us in Paris. You could have a reasonable life. You'll see that none of this ever happens again.

  Vincent Van Gogh : How, Theo? Will you and Johanna take turns watching me? Make sure the symptoms aren't coming back? When your baby's born... I'm a danger to others. I'm a danger to myself. Believe me, I'll be better off in an asylum.

  Theo Van Gogh : Vincent, please, you mustn't think like that.

• Theo Van Gogh : You've become a stranger. You've changed.

  Vincent Van Gogh : I haven't changed, Theo. Outwardly, perhaps, but inside me, I still want the same things.

  Theo Van Gogh : What things?

  Vincent Van Gogh : The things we talked about in the old days. To be of use, to work, to bring something to the world.