Jean-Michel Basquiat: The Radiant Child

Jeri Jacquin, Movie Maven

Opening in theatres this Friday from director Tamra Davis is a film that pays homage to her friend. This is a tragic story of a young man’s artistry with “Jean-Michel Basquait: The Radiant Child”.

This film tells the story of Jean-Michel, a young man from Brooklyn who began his artistic endeavors with a tagging name of SAMO (Same Old Shit) creating a buzz in the art world that led to the highest of highs and lowest of lows.

For twenty years a videos sat in the drawer of Tamra Davis that captured what Jean-Michel wanted for himself, his life and finding his art. Born of a Puerto Rican mother who had mental health issues and his Haitian father Gerard, Jean-Michel lived his own life.

From TV Party with Glen O’Brien, to the Mudd Club, CBGB’s and Times Square, Jean-Michel was out to see and be seen. It is at P.S. 1 in 1981 that he finally has a show and emerges as a bebop neoexpressionist artist.

Annina Nosei encourages his work and in his first show alone he made $200,000 in his first night. In 1983 Jean-Michel went international with his works going for as much as $30,000 a piece.

But as with fame that comes to quickly so does pain. Jean-Michel begins to use heroine much to his own detriment. Around the same time he befriended Andy Warhol and in 1985 the two artists collaborated on a show that didn’t please the critics.

By 1988 he puts together a one-man show but is terrified of that the press will say. He pushes people away and begins the descent into isolation. Later that year, Jean-Michel died at the age of 27.

FINAL WORD: Although sad, this is an interesting look at the life of this artist from the artist himself. By having this archived footage there is no doubt that Jean-Michel felt strongly about his art and his life.

As a young black man, especially after the beating of a young man named Michael Stewart – a graffiti artist who was beaten for writing on a wall, Jean-Michel saw that he was fortunate but still stifled by his race.

But, through his moments in front of the camera you can see a very sensitive person filled with a great talent but haunted by demons of his own. There is so much about his life in this documentary that it is important that it be seen.

TUBS OF POPCORN: I give “The Radiant Child” three tubs of popcorn out of five. This is an amazing account of this young man’s life. From the moment the world embraced him, Jean-Michel knew that his life was not destined for more – no matter how much he wanted it.

In the end – it is about the man and his art.