"Mark Rothko was not only one of the most influential American painters of the twentieth century; he was a scholar, an educator, and a deeply spiritual human being. Born Marcus Yakovlevich Rotkovitch, he emigrated from the Russian Empire to the United States at age ten, already well educated in the Talmud and carrying with him bitter memories of the pogroms and persecutions visited upon the Jews of Latvia. Few artists have achieved success as quickly,...

Mark Rothko is considered one of the most renowned figures of the abstract expressionists, though he refused to adhere to any art movement. For Rothko, both painting and viewing his work were considered a spiritual experience. The film profiles the life and work of a man who often wrestled with great sadness even as he transformed the course of American art with his uncompromising vision.