It's a story all about a man, Vincent Van Gogh, with depression, unappreciated and on the verge of collapse. And we see this man at some of his highest and lowest points, as he fights the invisible monster of depression that has accompanied him for all his life. Tony Curran's performance as Vincent Van Gogh is extraordinary, capturing the nature of Van Gogh excellently such as in the bedroom scene where he is at one of his lowest points, unable to face not only the oncoming day but his life, as he refuses to listen to the Doctor. This is handled intelligently by the script as well, as it has been previously lax on showing Vincent's 'low' moments, instead portraying him as someone who is obviously depressed and unhappy, but warming to the prospect of working with the Doctor and Amy. By showing Vincent in this vulnerable state, we get a sense of how deeply and darkly the depression does affect him.
Of course, we also see the higher points of Vincent's life, such as him seeing his works being displayed in the Musée D'Orsay, as he is driven to tears at realising that he is appreciated for what he does. And it's beautiful because we're allowed to take part in this emotional overload with Vincent as he realises the effect that he will have on people. The trick of having the room spin with Vincent's face in the fore-ground as Dr. Black's monologue runs in the background is almost too much for the audience to take in, leading to us entirely empathising with Vincent as he struggles to cope with what he's been told. It's a beautiful moment in a beautiful episode.
But as with Van Gogh's paintings, this episode is best viewed with one's own eyes, to appreciate the subtelties and to see the texture of how it all plays out. And whilst it's not my absolute favourite of Series 5, I would probably recommend watching Vincent and the Doctor above the rest of the series, if only to truly appreciate the art of this adventure.
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