| | | Touched by genius. Cursed by madness. Blinded by love.
Features: DVD, Pan and Scan (TV Format), Widescreen
Leonard DiCaprio and David Thewlis offer a tour-de-force lesson in the seductive strength of art and the destructive power of genius. DiCaprio plays Arthur Rimbaud, the 19th-century French poet who inspired Jim Morrison and the rock generation. Thewlis is Paul Verlaine, a writer torn between infatuation with Rimbaud and loyalty to his wife. Together, these two men feed each other's insatiable hunger for life and love. Director Agnieszka Holland (The Secret Garden) and screenwriter Christopher Hampton (Dangerous Liaisons) have re-created this true story of two men's search for inspiration and the brilliant madness they find together.
"Well worth seeing. Dazzling... a sensational performance by Thewlis." David Barron, New Orleans Times-Picayune
"Remarkable performances..." Michael Wilmington, Chicago Tribune
"Leonardo DiCaprio is phenomenal! David Thewlis turns in a riveting performance." Garrett Glaser, KNBC
Editor's Note
Director Agnieszka Holland (OLIVIER, OLIVIER, WASHINGTON SQUARE) presents this probing period piece that examines the nihilistic relationship between bad-boy French poet Arthur Rimbaud (Leonardo DiCaprio) and writer Paul Verlaine (David Thewlis). After Rimbaud sends Verlaine a series of poems, Verlaine summons him to Paris. Arriving at the home of his wife Mathilde's (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 everyone's life miserable. Nonetheless, Verlaine falls in love with him, sparking a tumultuous relationship between the two that threatens Verlaine's 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 men's literary importance.
Plot Summary
Agnieszka Holland's TOTAL ECLIPSE interprets the relationship between 19th century French poets Arthur Rimbaud and Paul Verlaine with emotional intensity. Although he was married, the older Verlaine was hopelessly attracted to the young, inspiring, talented Rimbaud, developing a sadomasochistic relationship with him that was to span years and spawn turmoil for both. The film stars thespian standouts David Thewlis and Leonardo DiCaprio.
| Features | English 5.1 Surround Dolby Digital | | English Dolby Surround | | Theatrical Trailer | | Interactive Menus | | English Subtitles | | Widescreen Version | | Standard Version | | Scene Access |
| Technical Info
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Release Information
| | Studio: New Line |
| Release Date: 5/10/2005 |
| Running Time: 110 minutes |
| Original Release Date: 1995 | | Catalog ID: 4850 | | UPC: 00794043485022 | | Number of Discs: 1 |
Audio & Video
| | Original Language: English | | Available Audio Tracks: English | | Video: Color |
Aspect Ratio | | 1.85:1/4:3 |
| Cast & Crew
| Memorable Quotes| "The world is too old and there's nothing new. It's all been said."----Arthur Rimbaud (Leonardo DiCaprio) to Paul Verlaine (David Thewlis) | | "I want the sun!"----Rimbaud (DiCaprio) to Verlaine (Thewlis)| |
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| | Professional Reviews | Washington Post 9 of 10
As the poet Arthur Rimbaud in Polish filmmaker Agnieszka Holland's engrossing Total Eclipse, Leonardo DiCaprio is like a little boy staring damnation in the face and refusing to blink. With his blonde locks falling into his pale, defiant eyes, DiCaprio's Rimbaud is not merely "the voice of the future," as his friend Paul Verlaine describes him; he is also the archetypal bohemian-cruel, self-destructive and fiendishly manipulative... As Verlaine himself observes, he may be a great poet, but Rimbaud is a genius. DiCaprio is daring and unguarded in his performance as Rimbaud, and Thewlis does an astounding job of showing the despair of an artist whose time has passed. What Holland seems to be saying is that it's Rimbaud's wild romantic excesses that make him a genius; without them, he's just a good writer. Holland and screenwriter Christopher Hampton (who wrote Dangerous Liaisons and also happens to be a Rimbaud scholar) seem to admire the man as much for his drunkenness and bad manners as for his art. Holland appears to see Rimbaud as a precursor of later rebel artists; he's like a 19th-century Jim Morrison - a rock star before his time. - Hal Hinson
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