Mystery Of Picasso, The (1956) Rating: Starring: Pablo Picasso, Henri-Georges Clouzot, Claude Renoir Director: H. G. Clouzot, Artists:Pablo Picasso Category: , Documentary Studio: Image Ent. Subtitles: English Length: 75 mins     In 1984 The French Government Named This Film A National Treasure Like a matador confronting a bull, the artist approaches his easel. As he wields his brush, we watch as the painting dances into being before our eyes. Pablo Picasso, the most influential artist of the 20th century, is making art, and Henri-Georges Clouzot, the famous French director (Wages of Fear, Diabolique), is making a movie. In 1955, Clouzot joined forces with his friend Picasso to make an entirely new kind of art documentary-one that captured the moment and the mystery of creativity. For the film, the master created 20 artworks-ranging from playful black-and-white sketches to widescreen color paintings. Using inks that bled through paper, Picasso rapidly created fanciful drawings that Clouzot was able to film from the reverse side, capturing their creation in real time. When the artist decided to paint in oils, the filmmaker switched to color film and employed the magic of stop-motion animation. By contract, almost all of these paintings were destroyed when the film was completed. Unavailable for more than a decade, The Mystery of Picasso is exhilarating, mesmerizing, and unforgettable. It is simply one of the greatest documentaries on art ever made. The French government agrees-in 1984 it declared the film a national treasure.