National Theatre Live: Red

Mark Rothko, the American abstract expressionist, has taken on a major commission: a series of large paintings for the Four Seasons restaurant, designed by Philip Johnson inside Mies van der Rohe's Seagram Building. Working alongside his young assistant Ken, Rothko wrestles with the project and with what it means for his art to be tied to such a glamorous commercial setting. The two men debate the art of the past and present, its purpose and its integrity, as the commission forces the painter to question his own position.

This 2018 recording captures the West End revival of John Logan's play Red, with Alfred Molina returning to the role of Rothko and Alfred Enoch playing Ken. Michael Grandage, who directed the play's original Broadway production, directs; Nick Morris also holds a directing credit, having previously directed a filmed Phantom of the Opera staging in 2011. Nick Frankfort II and Austin Shaw produce. The production runs about ninety minutes.

On IMDb the film holds a rating of 7.7 from 213 votes, while on TMDB it stands at 4.6 from 42 votes, a wide gap between the two audiences. Grandage's other directing credits include Genius (2016) and My Policeman (2022), with this title falling between them in his filmography.