John Logan’s taut, visceral two-hander, Red, features Latvian-American abstract painter Mark Rothko at the height of his career. Viewed through the lens of his youthful new assistant, Ken, we witness Rothko at the pinnacle of his creativity, but struggling through the creation of a series of large paintings, commissioned as a series intended to feature in New York’s brand-new Four Seasons Restaurant. As Ken and Rothko paint, they challenge each other to ask big questions about art: what it takes to create it and what its role should be in the world. Set in the 1950s, and based on a series of real events, Red takes a compelling look at the ever-changing relationship between an artist and his creations.
