Modigliani

Modigliani

Year: 2005

Runtime: 128 min

Language: English

Director: Mick Davis

BiographyDrama

In 1920s Paris, the renowned Pablo Picasso enjoys artistic fame, but Amedeo Modigliani grapples with professional setbacks and personal struggles. Facing societal pressures and battling inner demons, Modigliani seeks refuge in his sculpting and painting. He also embarks on a passionate and forbidden love affair with Jeanne Hébuterne, a relationship that complicates his already turbulent life and challenges his place in the art world.

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Timeline & Setting – Modigliani (2005)

Explore the full timeline and setting of Modigliani (2005). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

1919

Postwar Paris provides the backdrop for Modigliani’s fraught ascent and the explosive energy of the avant-garde scene. The city’s studios, salons, and the competing art world illustrate the era’s tensions between tradition and modernism. Personal stakes—love, family, addiction, and the will to survive—anchor the period’s dramatic arc.

Location

Paris, France

Set in Paris, France, in 1919, the film captures the bohemian atmosphere of the city’s art districts. The story follows Italian artist Amedeo Modigliani and his circle, including rival Pablo Picasso, as they navigate love, poverty, and creative ambition. Key locations range from bustling cafés to the City Hall, where a race against time and fate unfolds.

🎨 Art scene 🏛 Historic city 🕰 1919

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 08:07

Main Characters – Modigliani (2005)

Meet the key characters of Modigliani (2005), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Amedeo Modigliani

Amedeo Modigliani is depicted as a fiercely dedicated artist whose talent is matched by his vulnerability and addiction. From Livorno to Paris, he carries personal and financial burdens that threaten his ability to care for Jeanne and their child. Driven by a stubborn belief in his own genius, he enters the Paris art competition in a desperate bid for recognition and support.

🎨 Artist 💔 Lover 🌀 Turbulent 🔗 Family-bound

Pablo Picasso

Pablo Picasso is portrayed as Modigliani’s rival in the Paris art scene, a figure of formidable talent and ego. His presence heightens the stakes of the competition and the artistic dialogue of the era. While a rival, the film hints at mutual respect and a shared hunger for breakthroughs.

🎭 Rival 🧠 Genius

Jeanne Hébuterne

Jeanne is Modigliani’s lover and mother-to-be who embodies devotion and vulnerability. Their relationship navigates the tensions between love, faith, and societal expectations in postwar Paris. Her eventual fate amplifies the film’s meditation on the costs of art and passion.

💞 Lover 🕊 Tragic

Léopold Zborowski

Léopold Zborowski is Modigliani's friend and agent, a conduit to the Paris market and the logistics of his career. His support helps move Modigliani’s work from the studio to the competition, serving as both ally and organizer. His role highlights the collaboration between artist and manager in the Paris art scene.

🤝 Friend 🧭 Guide

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 08:07

Major Themes – Modigliani (2005)

Explore the central themes of Modigliani (2005), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

🎨 Artistic Rivalry

Modigliani’s drive to create a masterpiece in a competitive Paris art world is tested by his rivalry with Picasso. The film shows how artistry can become a public duel, where pride and careful craft collide with personal need. Entering the competition, he gambles with his health and finances, hoping victory would secure his child’s future. Even when he wins, the price is steep, exposing the fragility of artistic genius under commercial pressure.

💔 Love and Loss

Jeanne Hébuterne’s love for Modigliani anchors the story amid social barriers and personal danger. Their relationship intensifies as they face poverty, the threat of scandal, and the heartbreak of an unborn child. Jeanne’s later tragedy and Modigliani’s death compound the film’s exploration of passion and mortality. From tenderness to catastrophe, the romance drives both character development and the narrative’s emotional core.

⚰️ Mortality and Fate

Death hangs over Modigliani and Jeanne, with Modigliani dying in hospital and Jeanne choosing to end her life. The film frames these losses as the culmination of a precarious life lived between hunger, addiction, and artistic aspiration. Their shared burial alongside the unborn child marks a tragic, enduring legacy of love and art.

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 08:07

Unlock the Full Story of Modigliani

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Modigliani Summary

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Modigliani Summary

Modigliani Timeline

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Modigliani Timeline

More About Modigliani

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More About Modigliani

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