“In order to be a great artist, you simply have to BE a Great Artist. There’s nothing to learn.” Words of wisdom spoken by an overconfident graduate from the fictional Strathmore School of Art. But despite his dripping vitriolic delivery, these are perhaps the most profound words uttered in Art School Confidential.
But can true originality really be taught? In my mind, the answer is a resounding No. Originality comes from within. It has to be earned through repetition and practice. It’s earned through life experiences and finding your own voice through said experiences. Rendering Art School to be a mostly pointless endeavor.
So too is this belief seemingly held by Writer Daniel Clowes and Director Terry Zwigoff as they have crafted what is perhaps the most scathingly accurate satire of Art School ever committed to celluloid. Welcome to Strathmore School of Arts. Where originality goes to die. Both literally and figuratively.
Art School Confidential is told through the eyes of Jerome Platz (Max Minghella). Ever since childhood, he has shown a natural passion for art. Of course, this made him a target for school yard bullies. Nonetheless, he endured the painful years of high school with his firm belief that he will become the next Picasso. Though on closer inspection, his artwork seems to have very little in common with his idol.
His aspirations to become the greatest artist of the 21st century are noble if not a little too idealistic. But like any young man who was bullied by brutes and overlooked by the girls in his high school, he too has an ulterior motive of wanting to get laid by beautiful art models. Perhaps this is really what he means when he claims to want to become the next Picasso.
Thus begins his term at Strathmore School of Arts. A run down unmaintained campus that appears to be located in a questionable neighborhood. Everyone at Strathmore is an instantly recognizable stereotype of some form. First we have Jerome’s roommates; closeted gay fashion major Matthew (Nick Swanson) and the Tarantino-wannabe film student Vince (Ethan Suplee).
Things aren’t much better in class either as the cynical and self-aware Bardo (Joel David Moore) plays tour guide for Jerome pointing out the various cliches. Cliches ranging from the Holy vegan, the boring blowhard, the angry lesbian, the Mom who is discovering her artistic talent now that her last child has left the nest and of course, the kiss-ass of the class. How does Bardo know all of this? Well, he too is a cliche; that being the insecure guy who changes course every semester because he believes he has no real talent. “So who am I?” asks Jerome to no answer as Bardo has yet to figure him out.
As for his teachers? His Painting Professor Sandiford (John Malkovich) hides his contempt through a thin veneer of fake-charm. His Sculpting Professor Okamura (Jack Ong) just flat out dismisses his student as if they didn't exist. And his Art History Teacher (Anjelica Houston) may still have an ounce of passion left within her if not for the barrage of boring young blowhards of her class debating racial and sexual politics instead of just focusing on the Art itself.
Each of them are kind of failures in their own right so naturally they share a burning contempt for the young idealistic aspirational fools in front of them. Most notably Sandiford, whose one claim to fame is painting Triangles. He proudly boasts to Jerome that he was one of the first. Although clearly his work has never resulted in the way of financial security and thus he has to teach to make a living. As Sandiford states in Jerome's first class; "Only 1 out of 100 of you will ever make a living as an Artist." Clearly Sandiford was not that 1 out of 100. These words linger over the remainder of the film as they become the sole drive for Jerome to break out of the pack.
Eventually we come to meet the real star of the film. A former Strathmore Student who has long since become an embittered alcoholic wreck named Jimmy (Jim Broadbent). A man who perhaps once embodied that same idealistic spirit as the freshmen of Strathford now festering in his own deep cynicism. He too has become a jaded by-product of the Art World. He gladly takes the piss out of Jerome’s idol Picasso for never having so much as an original thought before launching into a drunken tirade. A tirade which compares the art world to that of prostitution as he suggest that Jerome become a good cock-sucker to get ahead. Much like the teachers, he serves as an eerie foreshadow for what may become of the freshmen of Strathmore.
Beyond the failed sexual escapades of Jerome and the many classroom scenes highlighting the absurdity of both students and professors, the plot eventually begins to reveal itself. Jerome grows infatuated with a beautiful young model named Audrey (Sophia Myles). However, Audrey has eyes for the new guy Jonah (Matt Keeslar); a preppy athletic jock type who looks so entirely out of place in his surroundings. He also just happens to be an undercover cop who is investigating a string of murders by strangulation on campus. However, much to Jonah’s surprise, the entire campus becomes absolutely enamored with his outsider art. Which is really just simplistic paintings of cars and trucks -- the kind of simple things a guy like Jonah would like in life.
As Jonah becomes the center of attention amongst both students and teachers alike, Jerome finds himself slipping further and further into a pit of despair as his work goes unnoticed. Jerome may have a natural talent for painting in general, but his work doesn’t really do much to stand out amongst the pack.
With all of this said, we have to talk about a certain subject. Much has already been said about Jerome’s entitlement in this film. It’s no secret that the character shares a striking similarity to that of Elliot Rodgers in both appearance and mentality at points. Elliot Rodgers being the notoriously infamous perpetrator of the 2014 Isla Vista killings where he killed 6 people.
Rodgers' motivation was that he wanted to punish the women who had ignored him as he felt a certain entitlement to them. Now, obviously this comparison is purely coincidental as Art School Confidential was shot in 2005...a mere 9 years before these killings took place. But it is difficult to ignore the comparisons in their shared mentality as Jerome wallows in his self despair.
Yes, Jerome has a certain amount of entitlement about him. His despair amplifies the more he continues to be overlooked. Most of this likely comes from the characters' childhood. Being overlooked and bullied clearly had a toll on him. Jerome strikes me as someone who lived with the hope that life beyond high school would be different for him. Only to find the harsh reality that blew the lid off all of his great expectations. That he simply went from being a fish in a pond to being a fish in the bigger sea.
His despair really comes from his need to be noticed and acknowledged. Perhaps he has a certain narcissistic quality about him. He so desperately wants to be seen as a great artist for he believes that this will bring him a certain amount of power and respect from the opposite sex. But now that he is finally out in the real world and on his own, those great ideals shatter to pieces. So much so that even Bardo eventually labels him as the “Class Douchebag.”
While Jerome doesn’t quite follow in the path of Rodgers, it is clear his character is certainly being tested to its breaking point. As his internal bitterness grows, he steadily earns the trust and maybe even begrudging respect of Jimmy. Jimmy eventually reveals to Jerome that he is the Strathmore Strangler. Then proceeds to show Jerome his personal collection of paintings. All of which are graphic re-creations of the murders themselves. Pasted atop the painting are the personal items he has collected from the deceased. Jerome reacts with a total indifference to this revelation.
As Jonah’s star increases in the art world, Jerome becomes increasingly desperate and steals Jimmy’s paintings claiming them to be his own. While these bold new paintings still fail to capture the eyes of his Professors, they do capture the attention of Jonah leaving Jerome to become the prime suspect. Unfortunately, Jimmy meets his maker as his apartment burns down after a drunken stupor.
Eventually Jerome is arrested on suspicion of murder and Jonah is exposed as the fraud he is. Which immediately earns him the scorn of the Art Community and thus the spotlight is now reverted back to Jerome as he becomes the new hero on campus. Because if there is one thing that earns the collective hate of all liberal Arts College Students, it could only be the cops. Realizing the opportunity staring him in the face, Jerome confesses to the murders and claims the art as his own. As such, he quickly becomes the talk of the art world. Even more than that, he finally earns the heart of the girl but to what ends?
Barring Jimmy, the one consistent throughout the film is that everyone in it is a total fraud. The teachers are frauds. The students are frauds. Audrey is a fraud who flings from relationship to relationship like it was a symbol of status. Jonah is clearly a fraud in every way as he plays the undercover role. And so too does Jerome become a fraud as he steals artwork and a claim to notoriety that isn’t rightfully his.
The only true original artist in the movie is the belligerent jaded drunk Jimmy. Yes, his artwork is dubious and morally bankrupt on one level, but at the same time, there is no denying the striking and eye-catching appeal of his art. It could be said that in his jaded and psychotic worldview that he’s the only character here that might have a true original thought or vision in mind.
Perhaps becoming another Jimmy was always the destined path for Jerome. It can be argued that their artwork does share a similar style at a base level. They also share certain sensibilities in their seething contempt towards humanity. At one point, Jimmy asks Jerome "Do you wanna be an artist or an aficionado?" And this is where their paths ultimately split. Jerome doesn't reach the status of artist on his own two feet and instead has become just as fraudulent as everyone else around him in the art community. He has become the very thing that Jimmy warned him about in their first meeting.
Upon initial release, the murder subplot was criticized heavily by critics and audiences alike. But for my money, the murder subplot is absolutely essential to the film and its overall point. Art School Confidential is a scathing jet black satire of the Art World and its tendency to lack objective standards. Clowes and Zwigoff clearly have an absolute disdain for Art School in general and it shows on screen as the film drips with its seething discontent. This subplot is perfectly integrated, or designed, to fit right in. Something Jerome finds painfully difficult to do.
They call the killer the Strathmore Strangler for a reason. Because Strathmore is where creativity and originality goes to die, or literally be strangled to death. Along with all the would be artists. Most of whom are only interested in art simply for money. Whereas Jerome is ultimately condemned by his love of a beautiful girl just as much as he is by his passion for art. The murder subplot is absolutely essential to the satire/parody at hand and as such, Art School Confidential remains a severely underrated and overlooked gem of scathing satire at its finest.
So...what does it take to be a great artist? You simply have to BE a great artist. And if you can’t do that? Then you can always maybe go to Art School and become just another fraud in the pile.
-Daniel M
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