At Eternity's Gate by Jean-Claude Carriere, Louise Kugelberg, Julian Schnabel and directed by the latter - 9 out of 10

At Eternity's Gate by Jean-Claude Carriere, Louise Kugelberg, Julian Schnabel and directed by the latter
9 out of 10


The fact that the exceptional, otherworldly Willem Dafoe has collected the only nominations this film has received for major awards may be indicative of two things.

One, that the actor is phenomenal- after all, he had been on the short list for the Oscars on three other occasions- and would deserve the coveted prize just as much as Christian Bale or Viggo Mortensen and in my view more than Rami Malek and surely much better than Bradley Cooper for the flawed A Star is Born.

Second, one might be tempted to think that the film is not outstanding, given that the only performance, the singular merit of the feature seems to have been the acting of Willem Dafoe.
The second premise is false, for the motion picture is remarkable and since it is about Vincent Van Gogh and his spectacular figure, everyone and everything else is shadowed, diminished by the towering presence.

The other actors in the cast are superb:
Oscar Isaac as Paul Gaugain, Rupert Friend as Theo Van Gogh, the brother of the genius, Mads Mikkelsen as the priest, Mathieu Amalric in the role of Dr. Paul Gachet, Emmanuelle Seigner as Madame Ginoux and last, but not least Niels Arestrup - formidable in The Prophet, My heart skipped a beat and so many other great films - in the role of a mad man.

It seems incredible, but the glorious painter who is established as one of the best, if not the best - I tend to think so - today, found it impossible to sell his work while he was still alive.
Indeed, in one scene, when he is talking to The Priest, who also has the role of establishing if the painter can be released from the hospice, Vincent Van Gogh is asked about his painting.

He insists that God has given him this passion and it is the only thing he could ever do.
But the priest doubts his talent, in fact, he seems sure that there is no merit to the canvas he has in his hand.

Meditative, the genius takes the lack of success his work had had and then speculates...

Perhaps my painting is for another generation.
Maybe God made a mistake and sent me to the wrong time.

I am not sure how much is artistic license and how much of the script is based on the famous letters written by Van Gogh and other documents.
But if he did say that, the paint has proved an uncanny foresight.

If he was rejected by those who lived in his age - with exceptions, because Gaugain and others have been able to see the immense quality of his paintings - his work is now celebrated and it is probably impossible to say that another artist is "better".

His life has been very unhappy though, for the most part, or at least this is the way it seems.
As a religious man, also passionate about his work, his calling, Vincent Van Gogh must have found ecstasy while painting.

But he also had to suffer a lot, especially after he became unstable, cut off his ear and wanted to present it to Paul Gauguin, after they have had an argument.
In his philosophical, ecclesiastical discussion with the priest, Van Gogh mentions the example of Jesus.

He is in no way an arrogant, self absorbed man, on the contrary, if anything, he seems to be too modest and subdued.
The genius is also a visionary, perhaps any such divine figure must be.

And his reference to Jesus and the fact that during his lifetime he was unknown shows brilliance.
Like Jesus Christ, Vincent Van Gogh is nobody to the world he lived in.

But after his death, he would become part of the Holy Trinity, the Son of the God of Painting.

To think that he could have been a failed priest.
He mentions his attempt to become a clergyman, the fact that his father has been one to the priest, when the latter wonders why the painter knows the scriptures so well.

In another remarkable production, with Kirk Douglas as Vincent and Anthony Quinn as Gaugain, the part in the life of the glorious painter where he tries to live in squalor, in a mining town, and become a priest for the poor and destitute is given ample space.

At Eternity's Gate is not just a wonderful film.
It is better than both A Star is Born - way ahead - and Black Panther, both selected on the list of the - supposedly- Best Motion Pictures.