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Viewing: Big Eyes


Was this film based on fact or fiction?


While watching the film Big Eyes, I was asked to carry out a fact check alongside watching the film, checking to see whether the film was based upon fact or fiction.


While watching 'Big Eyes', I was taken back to my Art A level analysing artists work and carrying out artist references to understand the context and meaning behind their work. In Film Studies, we often also explored the context behind the films and the directors influence and inspiration which I was able to put to use when carrying out a fact check on this film.


When carrying out research for this film, I found that many of the facts did match up and that Tim Burton very closely followed the lives of Margaret Ulbrich and Walter Keane.


The film tells the true story of a bizarre art fraud case in the 1960s America. Walter Keane's paintings of children with big tearful eyes were frowned upon by art critics but his huge success made him a fortune. However it was later found that his wife was in fact the extraordinary artist behind the paintings which Walter took the credit for.


Facts throughout the film which match with my research:

  • She believes that eyes are the window to the soul and how she expresses her emotion

  • She had an operation when she was younger that made her deaf so she relied on her eyes

  • Her ex husband wanted to take his daughter away from her as a single mother

  • She married Walter Keane so he could help her support her family

  • His and her art wasn't accepted into galleries

  • Rented walls of a music club to showcase their work

  • Walter got arrested and Margaret had to bail him

  • The club made headlines because of the fight and so Walter and the club owner pretend to fight every night to gain attention and business

  • Margaret gained more attention for her work than Walter and he started getting jealous she started making lots of money

  • She overheard him taking credit for something that wasn't his

  • He became manipulative of her

  • Walter never told his wife that he had a daughter he was meant to see once a month

  • 1963 moved into large house- Margaret was miserable

  • Keane was a Fraud- Margaret found out his street paintings were signed s. Cenic- he lied and took credit for someone else's work

  • She threatened to reveal the secret- he threatened to kill her



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