Watch Total Eclipse For Free

There is, somehow, an interesting story here, as well as some good acting. There are also some good scenes

Like the great film, it's made with a great deal of visible affection both in front of and behind the camera.

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

I blame this movie for awakening my mind to Rimbaud's poetry. I'm actually quite glad I saw the trailer for this. Paul Verlaine and Arthur Rimbaud were wild lovers, getting drunk on Absinthe and ruining local poetry readings. But that made their poetry- Arthur's poetry, anyways- better than before. Paul's was alright, but Arthur's was amazing. I have a whole book of his poetry including A Season In Hell, Illuminations and a series of letters. Also some writings about a girl named Timothina Labinette he was in love with (before he met Paul). And I have nothing against gay people, and I don't care if it's against God's word. I don't care if men were made to marry women. People can do what they want as long as they're not hurting anyone. Back to Rimbaud. As soon as I saw the real Rimbaud, I fell in love. But I could never understand his poetry because it wasn't the real thing. I was reading it online. But now that I'm reading the stuff that he actually wrote, I'm satisfied. The music in the movie is wonderful. Jan A.P. Kaczmarek does a beautiful job with the cello and the clarinet and the flute. If I close my eyes, I can imagine myself riding in a carriage with Rimbaud in the 19th century. I would love to go to a museum about him. Did I mention I have the whole soundtrack from 1995? Yeah, it's a CD. Yay.

Throughout the ages, there has always been a fine line between Genius and Insanity. The only way one discover which is which, is to troll the depths of hell and what you emerge with is the true nature of the man. Such is the story behind the movie " Total Eclipse " and the historical meeting between two notable French poets of the 19th century. The life of Paul Verlaine (David Thewlis) begins in 1871 when he was 28 as that is when he discovered young Arthur Rimbaud (Leonardo DiCaprio) age 17. Sharing a love for poetry, art, writing Absinthe, hashish and a zest for passionate living, the two embarked on a deep loving physical relationship and a troubling tumultuous affair which took the two over several countries and even prison. The movie is a fine rendition of the two tortured souls trying to fathom each other both physically and spiritually. Although each considered the other a wellspring of inspiration, their literary work often exacted a heavy toll on their relationship. Suffering for their art became a quest for self discovery and loathing of the boundaries set by the world. Eventually, thorough the haze of hatred and love, we see in the film the passion they left behind. The film is savagely real as director Agnieszka Holland and writer Christopher Hampton developed it. The end result is a monumental triumph for the lives of these giants. A real accomplishment in cinematic art and a definite Classic for the attentive viewer. ****

Few biopics of great artists have ever worked. This one was perhaps doomed from the start - dealing as it so valiant tries with one of the great enigmas of French poetry, Arthur Rimbaud. I suppose the director deserves credit for even attempting the impossible. She deserved far far better than Leo DiCaprio as Arthur Rimbaud. It would be kind to say he was miscast. He wasn't. He simply cannot act.Everyone else in the cast is excellent - even David Thewlis as Paul Verlaine. Romaine Bohringer is beyond reproach (especially in her nude scenes) as Verlaine's long-suffering wife (weren't they all long-suffering?).Rimbaud remains a total mystery, quite particularly because of this sad film.

I saw this movies many years ago long before Leonardo was a superstar as he is today and was riveted to the screen by the depth of his performance. The length to which he commented himself to this character was Oscar worthy, to say the least. I was so taken, I immediately preordered it to own and add to my collection. As I have watched it repeatedly over the years, my original assessment remains the same...a 10 plus! I am in shock that neither Leonardo nor the film industry has not made mention of this film when listing or crediting his fabulous and diverse character choices during his career. In my opinion, his work in this film is far and away better than even the Titanic. He really seemed to grasp every aspect of this tormented genius character which had far more depth than the Titanic character. I highly recommend you see and buy this movie.