A BIGGER SPLASH (1973)
Jack Hazan’s 1973 semi-fictional documentary A BIGGER SPLASH takes a look at gay artist David Hockney.
Today’s post is by QCA guest writer David Silver (@dvdslvr on Instagram).
A BIGGER SPLASH
1973. UK.
Director: Jack Hazan
Written by: Jack Hazan & David Mingay
Featuring: David Hockney, Peter Schlesinger, Celia Birtwell, Henry Geldzahler, Mo McDermott, Kasmin, Mike Sida, Ossie Clark, Susan Brustman, Patrick Procktor, Betty Freeman, Nick Wilder & Joe McDonald
A BIGGER SPLASH is more than just a documentary about British artist David Hockney—it’s an intimate, dreamlike portrait of love, heartbreak, and the artistic process. Directed by Jack Hazan, the film blurs the lines between documentary and fiction, capturing Hockney in the wake of his breakup with longtime lover Peter Schlesinger.
Like Hockney’s paintings—sun-drenched pools, candid figures, and vibrant landscapes—the film unfolds in fragmented, painterly vignettes that explore love and loss through an unabashedly queer lens. It follows Hockney and his inner circle as they discuss and create art, while separately tracing Schlesinger’s journey as he moves on—both emotionally and physically—from Hockney. Beneath its visual beauty, the film carries a quiet melancholy, lingering in the loneliness and longing that remain after love has faded.
At a time when LGBTQ+ representation was scarce and often coded, A Bigger Splash was radical—not just for its honesty, but for its explicitness. Hazan’s camera lingers on the male form, capturing desire, longing, and intimacy with an openness rarely seen in cinema of the era.
By blending vérité with stylized re-creations, A Bigger Splash is both deeply personal and aesthetically groundbreaking. It’s not just about Hockney—it’s about the intersection of art and life, about how love leaves its imprint on creativity. Today, it remains a hauntingly beautiful time capsule of 1970s queer life.
You can find A BIGGER SPLASH streaming through Kino and Metrograph (USA) and Netflix (UK), for rent/purchase through AppleTV, and also available on DVD/Blu-ray.
