This is one of my favourite episodes and I've always thought the same as your initial conclusion, that the episode would have be even more amazing without a monster. So I'm curious about it, what was it in particular about the monster that changed your mind?
Lovely episode. I thought the monster was brilliant because it was a literal version of Van Gough's art; only he could see the value in it until others were ready to listen.
Fight. Struggle. Endure. Suffer. LIVE.
Mostly, yes, for that symbolic aspect of the monster. It embodied the way in which Van Gogh's perceptions of the world differed from those of most people.
Also because it wasn't merely a monster. It represented an individual isolated in an unfamiliar and unsympathetic world, which obviously parallels Van Gogh himself and arguably also the Doctor as well.
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Ah, the first one I picked up on, but thought that they could have done it in a non-monster way and kept it just as interesting.
The second one is interesting and I hadn't thought about it. Congrats you've improved an already fantastic episode for me :D
It's a great dramatic piece, but it's pretty damn inaccurate, as Vincent was NOT suffering from depression during that time. So, Vincent actually was happy in the last year of his life...until a downward spiral right before he died. Then again, there's also the theory going around that Vincent didn't kill himself. All that said, to me it doesn't matter because this episode was well written and acted no matter what actually happened. We ended up with a Doctor Who episode with more character development than monster of the week. That's a win in my book.
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Vincent and the Doctor
After seeing a strange, evil-looking face in Vincent Van Gogh's The Church at Auvers, the Doctor travels back in time to meet the artist himself. Although another "celebrity historical", this story is quite refreshingly different from the usual Doctor Who episodes in terms of pacing and concept.
After I first saw this episode, I felt that the monster - a sort of chicken-dinosaur hybrid called a Krafayis - was perhaps unnecessary to this story, though decently entertaining and a welcome addition all the same. On a second viewing, however, I've changed my mind; the monster adds another dimension to the story, and in spite of its relatively small amount of screen time, it infuses the entire episode with another layer of awe, of humanity (yes, humanity), and of sadness. There is more, in short, to the Krafayis that meets the eye, just as there is more to this episode than meets the eye - and this peculiar quality is, I think, all the more apt given the story's emphasis on that which is more than meets the eye.
However, all that said, the episode primarily concerns itself with Mr. Van Gogh himself, and the world which he paints. I have to applaud the casting choice; Tony Curran makes a truly excellent Vincent, playing the part with sensitivity and charm - which makes his inevitably dark and tragic story all the more poignant. Nevertheless, there are also moments of marvel and wonder here, which the actor captures perfectly.
In fact, I should go so far as to say that this was one of the most moving Doctor Who episodes I have seen, although one suspects it might be a little sentimental for some in places. Personally, I thought it magnificent.