Total Eclipse
Agnieszka Holland, Director
1995 | 111 min | Feature
Director Agnieszka Holland, of OLIVIER, OLIVIER and WASHINGTON SQUARE, presents this probing period piece that examines the nihilistic relationship between bad boy French poet Arthur Rimbaud, played by Leonardo DiCaprio, and writer Paul Verlaine, played by David Thewlis. After Rimbaud sends Verlaine a series of poems, Verlaine summons him to Paris. Arriving at the home of his wife Mathildes, played by Romane Bohringer, family, Verlaine is shocked to discover that Rimbaud is only 16 years old. Worse, he is a crude, obnoxious rabble rouser who seems intent on making everyones life miserable. Nonetheless, Verlaine falls in love with him, sparking a tumultuous relationship between the two that threatens Verlaines marriage. As the poets travel to Brussels together, Rimbaud taunts Verlaine relentlessly, taking a toll on both, straining their relationship even further. As the troubled writers, DiCaprio and Thewlis deliver extremely powerful, unguarded performances, providing the film great emotional depth. Thewlis earned the Best Actor prize at the 1995 Cannes Film Festival, resulting in a work of biographical fiction that will remind viewers of both mens literary importance.
