Who was the man behind "The Scream", the iconic painting that so acutely expresses the anguish of the twentieth century? Edvard Munch (1863-1944) was twenty-eight when he embarked on a lifelong effort to paint his `soul`s diary` – and began a perverse love affair with self-destruction. This intimate and moving life of the Norwegian artist explores his turbulent early years, his time as a recluse, and his intense efforts to paint not what he saw, but what he experienced.