Movie Review: At Eternity's Gate (2018)

Genre: Biographical Drama  

Director: Julian Schnabel  
Starring: Willem Dafoe, Oscar Isaac, Rupert Friend, Mads Mikkelsen, Mathieu Amalric, Emmanuelle Seigner  

Running Time: 110 minutes  

Synopsis: Depressed by the grey weather and pretentious art scene in Paris, Vincent van Gogh (Willem Dafoe) relocates to the sunnier southern countryside and settles in the town of Arles. The surrounding landscapes inspire his creativity and craving for brightness, but drinking and poverty take a toll on his mental health despite financial support from his brother Theo (Rupert Friend). Fellow artist Paul Gaugin (Oscar Isaac) comes for a lengthy visit, but when he departs back to Paris, Vincent's mood deteriorates.

What Works Well: In this focused character study, director and co-writer Julian Schnabel delves deep into the psychology of the brilliant but tortured artist as he toils in obscurity to reinvent the language of painting. van Gogh's mental state, including his status in art history and the toll this takes on a fragile mind, emerges through finely crafted dialogue exchanges with his brother Theo, Gaugin, a priest (Mads Mikkelsen), a doctor (Mathieu Amalric) and Madame Ginoux (Emmanuelle Seigner). Aided by an intense Willem Dafoe performance, Schnabel uses unsettled camera movements, full-on in-your-face character framing, and some lens trickery to convey the warped reality of a buckling genius. 

What Does Not Work As Well: The running time is padded with plenty of dreamy shots of van Gogh striding through the beautiful agricultural fields of southern France. Some of the editing and scene transitions are rough around the edges.

Key Quote: 

Van Gogh: Maybe God made me a painter for people who aren't born yet.



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