The extraordinary life of Vincent van Gogh is celebrated in history’s first fully oil painted feature film, “Loving Vincent,” directed by filmmakers Dorota Kobiela and Hugh Welchman.

The biopic uncovers Van Gogh’s remarkable life and mysterious death through the activities of pseudo-detective Armand Roulin, played by Douglas Booth, who is assigned to deliver Van Gogh’s final letter.

Early in the film, Marguerite Gachet—Van Gogh’s doctor’s daughter played by Saoirse Ronan—asks Roulin if he knew Van Gogh as a person. She informs him of the artist’s admirable qualities and appreciation for life’s smallest details, as seen in his paintings.

The deeper Roulin delves into Van Gogh’s life and death, the more confusing his life appears: Characters, originally perceived as the villains, turn out to be complex and filled with nuance. Getting at the truth is a daunting task, always just out of grasp.

If mundane details provide a clue to Van Gogh’s artistry and personality, they also figure in the animation of this film. The directors first shot live-action with actors to yield reference images that 125 professional oil painters recruited from around the world used to create 65,000 hand-painted frames.

Breathing life into art history and emulating Van Gogh’s palette and style, the film is a vivid experience. Despite the abundance of blue hues and melancholic moments, the film also has optimism and hope with its bright yellows.

It’s easy to paint someone simplistically based on first glance. Many see Van Gogh solely as a madman who cut his earlobe off and gave it to a sex worker. This film, however, reveals a deeper, more complex narrative that it draws from extensive research.

“Loving Vincent” is scheduled at the Music Box Theatre, 3733 N. Southport Ave., Oct. 13 through 19.