Artemisia by Stephen Farber The problem of simplistic characters isn't confined to Hollywood. In Artemisia, French director Agnes Merlet tells the story of the first known woman artist a painter in 17th century Italy, and manages to make it a disappointingly one-dimensional tale of a feminist warrior. The movie is ravishing to watch; its visual style evokes the chiaroscuro lighting of Renaissance paintings. And the young actress, Valentina Cervi, has a lovely insouciance. Despite its rich visual palette, however, the movie draws the characters in black and white. Artemisia is victimized by her overbearing father and by the strutting artist who becomes her mentor and lover, yet she boldly challenges all the patriarchal prejudices of her society. The story would have been far more involving if the heroine had some of the same selfish singlemindedness as the men in the film, which is a defining characteristic of all artists, regardless of gender. What did you think of this movie? Sound off in the Movie Forum.