https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=djwNcfNy6x4
"Total eclipse" is a marvellous film from 1995 directed by Agnieszka Holland. It's the second example of input of polish artists in worldwide masterpieces. It tells the story of two nineteenth century french poets, young Arthur Rimbaud played by Leonardo Di Caprio who is famous for his roles in "Titanic" or "Romeo and Juliet" and the older one, Paul Verlaine played by David Thewlis, whose we can associate with "Harry Potter".
Arthur Rimbaud was an uderrated poet for a long time, also in real life. The movie shows that he was born in poor family in a village near Paris. He's a young, typical artist, dreamer who have a head in the clouds, his own rules and lifestyle. He's looking for some new experiences, he's spontaneous, full of energy, reckless. Paul Verlaine is his oposition - middle-aged, settled down, married but also a bit unhappy, dissatisfied with his life, he feels some kind of an emptiness in his heart. Despite differences between them, when they meet they take a liking for each other. At the beggining it's just a sympathy which turns into friendship. They spend time together, having fun, small talks and considering more existential problems. They also create together and exchange views related to their poetry. Friendship quickly turns into mutual fascination, including more serious feelings and carnality. Verlaine is impressed by his young friend and gradually falls in love with him. They start to travel around France and some other countries. They feel free and happy but with the passing of time they have less and less money, they live in poor conditions and start to argue with each other. Arthur seems to be bored and angry with his companion, he says that Paul constricts him. Rimbaud leaves his lover, heartbroken man comes back to Paris to his wife. After that, their fortunes entwine few times. Their relations become strange, cold, Paul is desperate, he can't abandon his feelings, Arthur gives him the runaround, he's indifferent to his suffering. He only focuses on his own career.
Difficulties of being in a homosexual relationship shouldn't be the first thing that comes to our mind when we talk about this film because it's just a marginal subject. "Total eclipse" enraptured me beacuse it shows that life of a poet or generally life of an artist isn't the bed of roses. Especially poets, writers are often convicted to live in loneliness, they have their moods, mental problems, they experience everything more intensively, they are hypersensitive, misunderstood. They're full of extremes, on the one hand they can be too self-confident, look down on everyone else, on the other hand there are many artists whose feeling of self-importance is on very low level.
Arthur Rimbaud
"Ma bohème"
I went off
with my hands in my torn coat pockets;
My overcoat
too was becoming ideal;
I travelled
beneath the sky, Muse! and I was your vassal;
Oh dear me!
what marvellous loves I dreamed of!
My only
pair of breeches had a big whole in them.
–
Stargazing Tom Thumb, I sowed rhymes along my way.
My tavern
was at the Sign of the Great Bear.
– My stars
in the sky rustled softly.
And I
listened to them, sitting on the road-sides
On those
pleasant September evenings while I felt drops
Of dew on
my forehead like vigorous wine;
And while,
rhyming among the fantastical shadows,
I plucked
like the strings of a lyre the elastics
Of my
tattered boots, one foot close to my heart!
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