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Total Eclipse
1995 111 min France, Belgium, United Kingdom R 18+
★5.9
Drama, Romance
Director: Agnieszka Holland
Trailers
Description
Young, wild poet Arthur Rimbaud and his mentor Paul Verlaine engage in a fierce, forbidden romance while feeling the effects of a hellish artistic lifestyle.
US Gross:
$340,139
Worldwide:
$339,889
Starring
Leonardo DiCaprio
Actor
David Thewlis
Actor
Romane Bohringer
Actor
Awards
San Sebastián International Film Festival 1995
— Golden Shell
Key opinion
Total Eclipse is a polarizing biographical drama that thrives on the intense, raw performances of its lead actors despite a screenplay that focuses heavily on the turbulent physical relationship between Rimbaud and Verlaine rather than their literary accomplishments. While many viewers find the film a haunting, masterful exploration of genius and destructive love, others criticize it for being cold, unpleasant, and lacking in narrative substance.
| Acting | Leonardo DiCaprio and David Thewlis deliver virtuosic, career-defining performances that anchor the film's intense character study. | |
| Score | The orchestral music and evocative cinematography are widely praised for perfectly capturing the atmosphere of the era and the emotional state of the characters. | |
| Theme | The film succeeds as a character study, offering a compelling look at the destructive, obsessive nature of the poets' toxic relationship. | |
| Screenplay | Opinions on the screenplay are divided: some appreciate the candid, unflinching focus on the characters' raw humanity, while others feel the lack of focus on the poets' actual literary output creates a shallow or unengaging narrative. | |
| Emotion | The film is a divisive experience; supporters hail it as a powerful, haunting masterpiece, while critics find it exhausting, unlikable, or unpleasant to watch. |