Known for his eccentric personality and outspoken nature, Vincent Gallo is an artist in every sense of the word. Recognized for his work as an actor and director in films such as Brown Bunny, Gallo has also delved into the world of painting and music. From his artistic genesis in Buffalo, New York, to his residence in Downtown NYC, he has personified the quintessential New York artist applying aspects of his own life into his work, as was the case with the cult film Buffalo '66, which was shot entirely in his hometown, where he's been quoted as saying “real Italians” come from.
After buying his first album, The Beatle's Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, Vincent Gallo played guitar and drums in a variety of bands in his teen years which included the Plastics, and he played bass in Zephyr “looking very Chris Squire” - one of his musical idols and bassist for prog-rockers Yes. In 1984, Gallo wrote and performed the film score for The Way It Is; this was the first time he'd scored a full length film, having already done so for several short films. His work in film scoring culminated in 2002 with the release of Recordings of Music for Film on Warp Records, a collection of original music from four films including Downtown 81.
Vincent Gallo's 2001 solo album, When, includes sparse arrangements similar to the ones found on his film scores. Recorded at his home studio using his impressive collection of vintage gear, When is composed mostly of guitar-based music. With his clear and high pitched vocals and lovely production work, Gallo's music on When consists of beautifully crafted tunes that leave plenty of open space in the sound, just enough to pull you in.
Last year, Gallo teamed up with director Francis Ford Coppola in the astounding film, Tetro, which was shot in Argentina in mostly black and white, and possesses an aesthetic more akin to independent films than big budget releases. Fellow Examiner Eric Shlapack has said that “Coppola has taken a story with many personal elements and weaved a bravura masterpiece about family interaction that is a cinematic achievement unlike anything he has done since Apocalypse Now.” On the set, Gallo commented that the film The Rain People made him love the movies, while Coppola stated, appropriately enough, that the philosophy behind the production of Tetro comes from when he was much younger and made the aforementioned film with George Lucas. With an overwhelmingly great screenplay combined with Gallo's brilliant performance, Tetro has provided us with one of the best films of 2009. Now we must wait and see if the Academy will stand up and take notice when they announce their nominees on February 2nd.
For more information on Vincent Gallo, visit his official site and the Tetro official movie site.
Eric Shlapack's article: Tetro shows why film is the highest art form.
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