Black White & Gray: A Portrait of Sam Wagstaff and Robert Mapplethorpe | Rotten Tomatoes
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      Black White & Gray: A Portrait of Sam Wagstaff and Robert Mapplethorpe

      2007 1h 10m Documentary List
      85% Tomatometer 20 Reviews 69% Audience Score 250+ Ratings Filmmaker James Crump looks at the complex relationship between art curator Sam Wagstaff and photographer Robert Mapplethorpe, and their influence on the art world. Read More Read Less
      Black White & Gray: A Portrait of Sam Wagstaff and Robert Mapplethorpe

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      Critics Consensus

      Vital documentation of an unsung 70's art patron and his famous photographer lover. A vivid and tragic story.

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      Critics Reviews

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      Hank Sartin Time Out Rated: 4/5 Nov 18, 2011 Full Review Melissa Anderson Time Out Rated: 3/5 Nov 17, 2011 Full Review James Christopher Times (UK) This is a terrific documentary by James Crump about the unsung collector, Wagstaff, and his lopsided relationship with his hungry young lover, Mapplethorpe. Rated: 4/5 Aug 15, 2008 Full Review Dorothy Woodend The Tyee (British Columbia) Good taste is examined in all its implications in James Crump's elegant documentary Black White + Gray: A Portrait of Sam Wagstaff and Robert Mapplethorpe. Aug 23, 2017 Full Review Rich Cline Shadows on the Wall Crump's film is a vitally important document in this respect, bringing out Wagstaff's personality and vividly capturing the stories of the people who knew him. Rated: 3.5/5 Aug 15, 2008 Full Review Sam Jordison Film4 A well made portrait of an intriguing man, presented with a tragic but resounding weight. Rated: 4/5 Aug 15, 2008 Full Review Read all reviews

      Audience Reviews

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      Audience Member Excellent documentary on Maplethorpe, Wagstaff, and a lot on their interesting relationship with Patti Smith. Some interesting stories from many. Thoroughly enjoyed. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/25/23 Full Review Audience Member Interesting, up to a point. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/27/23 Full Review Audience Member Well done doc about the rich art collector and curator Sam Wagstaff whose relationship with photographer Robert Mapplethorpe has largely been overlooked. The film's handling of his photography collection,now at the Getty, is wonderful, and of course, I love Patti Smith. I lived in NY during part of the time covered, so I have a tiny bit of nostalgia. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/28/23 Full Review Audience Member great Insight on Sam Wagstaff & Mapplethorpe. Loved it. Loved Patty Smith. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/13/23 Full Review Audience Member Really more about Sam Wagstaff then anything else... I didn't know him at all, so I found it interesting. But the title is a bit misleading in a way. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/19/23 Full Review Audience Member I was very excited to watch this documentary, but unfortunately, I almost hated it. It wore me out, it focused on the wrong aspects of things, it's unnecessarily long and for someone who isn't familiar with either one of the two people this movie deals with, then this film doesn't do such a great job in delivering their greatness to the audience. However, this is the documentary where everyone should begin in order to learn more about Wagstaff and Mapplethorpe. Sam Wagstaff contributed in the reinvention of several art forms and Robert Mapplethorpe literally revived the black-and-white photography. Both men died of AIDS, Wagstaff in 1987 and his lover, Mapplethorpe, in 1989 -in a period when AIDS "killed" hundreds of mythic men. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 02/03/23 Full Review Read all reviews Post a rating

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      Movie Info

      Synopsis Filmmaker James Crump looks at the complex relationship between art curator Sam Wagstaff and photographer Robert Mapplethorpe, and their influence on the art world.
      Director
      James Crump
      Screenwriter
      James Crump
      Genre
      Documentary
      Original Language
      English
      Release Date (Streaming)
      Mar 8, 2017
      Runtime
      1h 10m