Basquiat –

Director-Approved Blu-ray Special Edition

Directed by Julian Schnabel

Julian Schnabel’s tribute to his friend and fellow painter Jean-Michel Basquiat is less a conventional biopic than an impressionistic, sensory immersion into the mythic downtown-Manhattan art world of the 1980s. Jeffrey Wright—appearing in his first lead film role—portrays the visionary artist whose ascent from graffiti tagger to international art star forces him to grapple with the pressures of sudden fame, systemic racism, addiction, and the struggle for autonomy in America. Featuring an ensemble that includes an unforgettable performance by David Bowie as Andy Warhol, Schnabel’s directorial debut—presented here in his luminous new black-and-white remaster—is a profoundly expressive elegy for a brilliant life cut tragically short.

Key Features

• New digital restoration of the 2024 black-and-white version, supervised and approved by Julian Schnabel
• 5.1 surround DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack
  
• Audio commentary featuring Julian Schnabel and Giulia D’Agnolo Vallan
  
• New interview with actor Jeffrey Wright
• 1996 interview with Julian Schnabel and David Bowie
• Trailer
• English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
• Booklet featuring an essay by film scholar Roger Durling

Special Features