Three Studies of Francis Bacon

One of the most important artists of the Twentieth Century, and indeed of the past 500 years, Bacon's work screams and pulsates with a non-apologetic straight face. Here are two documentaries and a biopic on the creator of the most visually astonishing works of our time...
The South Bank Show (1985)
Part of The South Bank Show series, David Hinton directs this documentary about British painter Francis Bacon, known for his horrifying portraits of humanity. The program consists of a series of conversations between Bacon and interviewer Melvyn Bragg, starting with commentary during a side-show presentation at the Tate Gallery in London. Later in the evening, Bacon is followed through various bars hanging out, drinking, and gambling. In another segment, Bacon provides a tour of his painting studio and a glimpse at his reference photographs of distorted humans. The artist discusses his theories, influences, and obsessions. This title won an International Emmy Award in 1985.
Love is the Devil: Study for a Portrait of Francis Bacon (1998)
In the 1960s, British painter Francis Bacon (1909-1992) surprises a burglar and invites him to share his bed. The burglar, a working class man named George Dyer, 30 years Bacon's junior, accepts. Bacon finds Dyer's amorality and innocence attractive, introducing him to his Soho pals. In their sex life, Dyer dominates, Bacon is the masochist. Dyer's bouts with depression, his drinking and pill popping, and his satanic nightmares strain the relationship, as does his pain with Bacon's casual infidelities. Bacon paints, talks with wit, and, as Dyer spins out of control, begins to find him tiresome. Could Bacon care less?
The Art of Francis Bacon (2007)
Produced in association with the Estate of Francis Bacon, this film explores many of his key canvases (which have been newly filmed in Hi-Definition). The works are complemented solely with Bacon’s own words, recorded by an actor (Derek Jacobi). The artist’s biography is outlined, but the focus is on his ideas: his thoughts about his work, and his reflections about how and why he paints. The result is a rigorous and revealing portrait of one of the few artists who has truly changed the way we see and understand ourselves.