Mapplethorpe: Look at the Pictures
Seen it?2016 | 105 min | Documentary
Sunday Safe Betearly ratingWhy it’s a Sunday Safe Bet
Critics loved it (97% on Rotten Tomatoes), though it had almost no lasting buzz and soft box office. A safe bet when you want something reliable.
Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.Is it for you?
- Who'll love it
- Made for the curious.
- The mood
- Eye-opening.
- The pace
- Moves along nicely, at 1 hr 45 min.
- What might put you off
- Nothing much for most grown-ups.
Nude men in rubber suits, close-ups of erections, objects shoved in the most intimate of places—these are photographs taken by Robert Mapplethorpe, known by many as the most controversial photographer of the twentieth century. Openly gay, Mapplethorpe took images of male sex, nudity, and fetish to extremes that resulted in his work still being labelled by some as pornography masquerading as art. But less talked about are the more serene, yet striking portraits of flowers, sculptures, and perfectly framed human forms that are equally pioneering and powerful.
How it earned its rating
- CriticsVery strong
97% on Rotten Tomatoes
- AudiencesNot counted
Not measured yet: not enough ratings
- AwardsNot counted
No major awards or nominations
- Reach & staying powerBelow par
Streaming release that reached a small audience so far; still draws a steady audience long after release
- Buzz & cultural impactWeak
About 3K people sought it out in the past year
Trailer
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Cast & crew
Directed by Fenton Bailey, Randy Barbato
- Robert MapplethorpeSelf (archive footage)
- Fran LebowitzSelf
- Debbie HarrySelf
- Brooke ShieldsSelf
- Carolina HerreraSelf
- Paul MartineauSelf
- Bob ColacelloSelf
- Patti SmithSelf (voice) (uncredited)