The Moon and Sixpence (1959)

Adapted from a novel by W. Somerset Maugham which itself is based somewhat on the life of Paul Gaugin, stockbroker Laurence Olivier leaves a path of destruction amongst his friends and loved ones as he decides to pursue a career as an artist. Hard to get into partially because of the poor quality of the recording, but also because Olivier’s character is an insufferable prick that it’s hard to feel sorry for him when he comes down to leprosy. What is impressive is that recording even exists as it was originally a live television broadcast, captured by the Kinescope technique of using a 16mm film camera fixed on a television monitor to record the broadcast, which allows us to see such a performance by Sir Laurence and also those of Hume Cronyn and Jessica Tandy as a married couple who get caught up in his storm.