"There's only one thing I fear in life, my friend... One day the black will swallow the red.”
It is 1958. Mark Rothko, one of the most influential artists of the Abstract Expressionist Movement, is in his studio working on a major commission— known later as the infamous Seagram Murals—for the opening of The Four Seasons restaurant, in New York. It is his new assistant Ken‘s first day of work.
A man of fierce opinions and didactic conversation, Rothko fires questions at his nervous assistant about art; which sparks a surprisingly intense philosophical debate on life, art, culture and Nietzsche. Finding himself challenged intellectually and emotionally by Ken, Rothko begins to face some truths about himself as he reveals his struggles and fears as an artist, his disdain for the modern world, and his inner turmoil over the commissioned work.
A critically acclaimed Tony Award-winning bio-drama written by John Logan (Gladiator, The Aviator, Sweeney Todd, Skyfall) and helmed by multi-award winning director Samantha Scott-Blackhall (Freud‘s Last Session), Red contemplates the fundamental questions of creation and experience, delving into the nature of creativity, the relationship between art and commerce, as well as the master/apprentice dynamic. In this thought-provoking, fictional account of Mark Rothko set during what is known to be one of the most defining periods of his entire oeuvre, Red captures the personality and psyche of a creative genius and paints a stimulating portrait of an artist torn between a grand ambition and his artistic integrity.
Advisory: Strong language used.
1h 20min, no intermission.