The Swedish artist and mystic, Hilma af Klint, appears to have been one of life’s great talents who was simply too ahead of her time to be fully appreciated and understood. Inspired by theosophic practices, she believed that “High Masters” or spirits were the ones guiding her brush as she worked. Rejected by her male peers and leading art galleries, her most abstract works remained in storage until the 1960s.
Lasse Hallström’s biopic, Hilma, deep dives into the inspiration for some of the artist’s most famous works as well as her complicated personal life. Tora Hallström plays the artist throughout her youth with Lena Olin stepping in to play her in her later years. The film charts Hilma’s strong desire to be accepted whilst living as she saw fit; her blend of science and religion; traditionalism versus abstract thinking; male space and the female ‘place’.
Chauvinism is rife in Hilma’s world from the offset. Her desire to study mathematics and science – “male subjects” – is ridiculed. When she is accepted at the Royal Academy of Fine Art, she is told that women are not allowed to use the front entrance. In her first classes, her tutor holds up a painting and remarks, “You can hardly tell that it was drawn by a woman!”. Her “soulmate” and inspiration, Rudolf Steiner (Tom Wlaschiha) constantly diminishes her achievements and belittles her work. It’s clear that Hilma is desperate for his approval and that enjoys not giving her it.
More than this, Hilma – with her outspokenness and non-conformist approach as to how life should be lived – is marked as an outsider long before she delves into abstract art.
There is also a strong LGBT component to the film. Hilma is part of “The Five”, a group of women who partake in seances in order to reach the “High Masters” who inspire their art. It is in this group that Tora Hallström’s Hilma meets Catherine Chalk’s Anna Cassel. Their love affair is passionate but kept behind closed doors. Hilma believes that she carries the masculine energy of their relationship whilst Anna is more feminine. This is reflected in their costuming – Hilma wears dark colours, tailored waistcoats and more structured ensembles. Anna wears floaty creams and beiges, complete with ruffles and brooches.
Interestingly, for a film about such abstract art, it has a very traditional composition. There are lots of breathtaking landscapes, close-ups of fresh-faced young artists and classic screen “brackets” – characters at either side of the screen with a huge gap in between. There are montages of letter writing and paintings being created. The film is also in English, with “shop girl” characters sounding more Northern than Hilma’s clipped tones. The score is a subtle string and piano number. The exception to this is a couple of moments where we are taken into what Hilma can see. Here, we are treated to ribbons of swirling colour and geometric shapes forming and evolving.
When we see Af Klint’s work in all its glory, it is a moment to be savoured. Work like this is designed for the big screen. They are mesmerising in their high-contrast colour palettes and striking in their geometric precision. It really is a treat to watch them come to life.
Towards the end of the film, as Lena Olin takes over, we see the toll a lifetime of being on the outside has taken on our titular lead. She talks to herself on a trolley cart about burning things, much to the horror of her fellow passengers. Her eyes seem constantly filled to the brim with tears. She overhears her brother dismissing her and labelling her a witch. A lifetime of degradation and mockery from high-class males has eroded her sense of self. Her paintings – so vivid and fresh – feel like a source of shame. She is lost, simply because she has been misunderstood.
Hilma is a thorough biopic that takes its time with its subject matter. There are moments of real frustration and sadness as we watch a brilliant mind dulled by social expectations. Lena Olin makes the most of her limited screen time whilst Tora Hallström and Catherine Chalk share excellent chemistry. A very traditional, gentle approach to the biopic from acclaimed director, Lasse Hallström.
HILMA makes its US Nationwide Debut on the Viaplay streaming service from the 18th of June