Movie Response

The relationship between Modigliani and Picasso was a mix of appreciation and criticism. As individuals, they are two completely different people. In the very beginning of the movie it's obvious to tell that Picasso takes himself more seriously than Modigliani does. Modigliani is confident, but not arrogant. Also in the beginning you can pick up on a sense of competition between the two. At some points during the movie you would think they were the worst of enemies. Picasso crossed two major lines with Modigliani; he painted his lover, Jeane, and painted over one of his pieces. Every time Modigliani tried to succeed Picasso somehow got in his way. Modigliani often made a fool of Picasso. When they were driving together, right after Picasso threatened him, Modigliani put on his hat and began to mock him.
At first it seemed like Picasso had a serious problem with Modigliani. It seemed like Modigliani was just joking around a majority of the time while Picasso purposely crossed several lines with with Modigliani. However, as the movie progressed, it seemed like Picasso a great deal of respect for Modigliani. Picasso drove Modigliani to see Renoir, an artist that influenced both of them. Also, near the end of the movie, Picasso submitted a portrait of Modigliani for the final art competition. At the very end of the movie Picasso was shown at Modigliani's funeral holding the hand of Modigliani's hallucination (Modigliani as a small child).
What I find interesting about their relationship is how they both inspired each other. Since Picasso was already a well-established artist he had an advantage over Modigliani in some situations. Picasso agitated Modigliani in such a way that he actually worked harder to prove Picasso wrong. By competing with Picasso, Modigliani was able to prove himself as a worthy artist to others, which caused others to gain a sense of appreciation for him and his work. Also, of Picasso didn't have at least some sort of respect for Modigliani, I don't think that he would have introduced him to an artist like Renoir.
I don't know if I can call their relationship a friendship, but I believe that they were far from enemies. Neither of them did anything to seriously harm the other. In a way I think they depended on one another. At some points Modigliani really needed the motivation that Picasso provided, even though it was less than conventional. Also, Modigliani posed as a threat to Picasso in some ways, which in turn kept his ego in-check. Their relationship may be complex, but I think they both had a positive influence on each other in the end.