Skip to content
1981
Volume 15, Issue 3
  • ISSN: 2042-7891
  • E-ISSN: 2042-7905

Abstract

This contribution picks up from my 2007 journal article, ‘The past is myself’, on (1974), the seminal film biography of the Norwegian artist, directed by Peter Watkins (1935–2025). It revisits the archival materials used for the earlier research – most notably Watkins’ original 1972 script draft for the film – to examine the ways in which Watkins’ explorations of the past were not just intended to relate to the director’s personal identification with Munch but consciously to draw out parallels with wider society, culture and history. The article traces the development of this perspective through analysis of the original script outline before examining how Watkins’ intentions were then realized with the help of his cinematographer during shooting.

Loading

Article metrics loading...

/content/journals/10.1386/jsca_00139_1
2026-03-13
2026-04-10

Metrics

Loading full text...

Full text loading...

References

  1. Ahn, Presca (n.d.), ‘The great scream in nature: Edvard Munch at MoMA’, The American Reader, https://theamericanreader.com/the-great-scream-in-nature-edvard-munch-at-moma/. Accessed 19 September 2025.
    [Google Scholar]
  2. Batty, Craig (ed.) (2014), Screenwriters and Screenwriting: Putting Practice into Context, London: Palgrave Macmillan.
    [Google Scholar]
  3. Canby, Vincent (1976), ‘Edvard Munch, superlative film by Watkins, limns life of artist’, New York Times, 13 September, p. 33.
    [Google Scholar]
  4. Castle, Alison (ed.) (2016), The Stanley Kubrick Archives, Cologne: Taschen.
    [Google Scholar]
  5. Cook, John R. (2007), ‘The past is myself: Peter Watkins’ Edvard Munch (1974)’, Critical Studies in Television: The International Journal of Television Studies, 2:1, pp. 217, https://doi.org/10.7227/cst.2.1.3.
    [Google Scholar]
  6. Eggum, Arne (n.d.), ‘Edvard Munch as a painter’, Munch Museum, http://museumsnett.no/munchmuseet/english/munch.htm. Accessed 22 September 2025.
    [Google Scholar]
  7. Gomez, Joseph A. (1976), ‘Peter Watkins’ Edvard Munch: A film portrait of both artists’, Film Quarterly, 30:2, pp. 3846, https://doi.org/10.2307/1211760.
    [Google Scholar]
  8. Lennon, Peter (1976), ‘Portrait of the artist’, The Sunday Times, 28 March, p. 37.
    [Google Scholar]
  9. Ljujic, Tatjana, Krämer, Peter and Daniels, Richard (eds) (2015), Stanley Kubrick: New Perspectives, London: Black Dog Publishing.
    [Google Scholar]
  10. Nelmes, Jill (ed.) (2010), Analyzing the Screenplay, Abingdon: Routledge.
    [Google Scholar]
  11. Peacock, Steven (2014), ‘The portraiture of Edvard Munch (Peter Watkins, 1974)’, Critical Studies in Television, 9:3, pp. 2232, https://doi.org/10.7227/CST.9.3.3.
    [Google Scholar]
  12. Watkins, Peter (1972a), A Cry of Feeling (draft script outline for Edvard Munch), 1 June, Vilnius: Peter Watkins personal archive.
  13. Watkins, Peter (1972b), typed script notes accompanying A Cry of Feeling (draft script outline for Edvard Munch), 1 June, Vilnius: Peter Watkins personal archive.
    [Google Scholar]
  14. Watkins, Peter (1976), Director’s statement on Edvard Munch, 4 May, Vilnius: Peter Watkins personal archive.
  15. Watkins, Peter (2001), in-person interview with J. R. Cook, Vilnius, Lithuania, 6 July.
  16. Watkins, Peter (2024), ‘Edvard Munch’, Peter Watkins, http://pwatkins.mnsi.net/munch.htm. Accessed 19 September 2025.
    [Google Scholar]
  17. Altman, Robert (1990), Vincent and Theo, USA.
    [Google Scholar]
  18. Lewin, Albert (1942), The Moon and Sixpence, USA.
    [Google Scholar]
  19. Minnelli, Vincente (1956), Lust for Life, USA.
    [Google Scholar]
  20. Watkins, Peter (1964), Culloden, UK: BBC Television.
    [Google Scholar]
  21. Watkins, Peter (1974), Edvard Munch, Norway and Sweden: Norsk Rikskringkasting and Sveriges Radio.
    [Google Scholar]
  22. Watkins, Peter (2000), La Commune, France.
    [Google Scholar]
/content/journals/10.1386/jsca_00139_1
Loading
/content/journals/10.1386/jsca_00139_1
Loading

Data & Media loading...

This is a required field
Please enter a valid email address
Approval was a success
Invalid data
An error occurred
Approval was partially successful, following selected items could not be processed due to error
Please enter a valid_number test