Nature of Emotion

Brief Overview
As humans, we are privileged to be able to experience emotions in response to events or phenomenas. We smile to express happiness, furrow our brows and frown to display dissatisfaction. Emotions are multidimensional. They generate feelings, induce physiological reactions, generate motivational states and facial expressions. 

Paul Eckman came up with six basic emotions (fear, anger, disgust, sadness, surprise, and happiness) that follow a certain criteria:

→innate rather than acquired or learned through experience or socialization

→arise from the same circumstances for all people

→are expressed uniquely and distinctively (universal facial expression)

→evoke a distinctive and highly predictable physiological patterned response

Show and Tell

Loving Vincent is the first of its kind to produce an animation film entirely out of oil-paintings. Fresh brushstrokes and expressive details bring extraordinary life to the story and characters. The intricate narrative explores the mystery surrounding Vincent van Gogh's death, but reveals a simple truth the artist lived by 'till his last breath. 

Emotion is an important component to the creation of the film. Many of the characters held strong views on the artist and they're clearly seen from the expressions on their faces. Armand was first indifferent towards the artist, but has had unpleasant memories of the man. Bad blood formed between the Roulin's and the townspeople. Joseph Roulin, the local postman and father of Armand, was the only man the ever stood up for the artist. Vincent left a deep presence on his family; it affected how the townspeople viewed them. At the beginning of the film, Armand is first seen fighting with a foot soldier outside a bar. A prime emotion Armand has felt throughout the film is anger. 

"That's for my father."

"Interesting man? That's now how I remember him."

Armand is passionate in certain moments in the film. He expressed anger when he felt the situation (past or present) was not how it should have been. Talks of where Vincent got the gun trailed to the gun owned by Dr. Gachet's, which Louise Chevalier, the housekeeper wrote off as the Ravoux's gun. The boatman revealed new information when he told Armand that the gun was bought off by a lout name René Secratan who Vincent often hung around with. It seemed René often mistreated Vincent which instantly made Armand furious. He was disappointed in the boatman for not defending Vincent when he needed help the most. Had the boatman stood up for Vincent, perhaps he would not have died is what Armand implied. But it seemed everyone was to be blamed; they all had some part in the events that lead up to that night he bled out—even Armand, who was frustrated with himself for wanting nothing to do with the artist.

"It wasn't my business. It wasn't my fight."

Still angered by the townspeople who considered themselves Vincent's friends, he walked into the night, drunk and wallowing in indignation and displeasure. When he was drinking at the open bar in the fields, Armand took a stand for the strange boy he met at the fields who was being bullied by a couple of drunks. It may be unclear if he fought them for his redemption or out of morality.

When he met with Marguerite Gachet back in the fields, she revealed the truth between the relationship with her father and Vincent. Anger is a complex emotions that's motivated by numerous responses. Armand felt hurt for Vincent and acted out physically in frustration. Although immediately after his energized reaction, he developed into a better character and changed for the better as the film progressed. He found himself more in Vincent shoes and grew to understand Vincent's mind and his appreciation for life.

"You're not to blame. You've no part in it. He was shot by some boys. Some boy name René Secretan. [...] An idiot who drank, who had a gun, who walked around all summer with it waving it in people's faces, who bullied Vincent, who was seen with Vincent on the day of his death, and his stuff disappears. He didn't disappear it himself, so there must have been someone else. It must've been."