Total Eclipse

Name: Total Eclipse
Genre: Biography, Drama, Romance
Released: November 3, 1995
Duration: 111 min
Rating: 42
Cast: Andrzej Seweryn, David Thewlis, Denise Chalem, Dominique Blanc, Emmanuelle Oppo

1995

METASCORE

Mixed or average reviews based on 17 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Mixed or average reviews based on 6 Ratings

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5.3

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5.3	User Score Mixed or average reviews based on 6 Ratings

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Movie Details & Credits

Fine Line Features | Release Date: November 3, 1995 | R

Starring: Andrzej Seweryn, David Thewlis, Denise Chalem, Dominique Blanc, Emmanuelle Oppo, Félicie Pasotti, James Thiérrée, Leonardo DiCaprio, Nita Klein, Romane Bohringer

Summary: Young, wild poet Arthur Rimbaud (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his mentor Paul Verlaine (David Thewlis) engage in a fierce, forbidden romance while feeling the effects of a hellish artistic lifestyle.

Director: Agnieszka Holland

Genre(s): Biography, Drama, Romance

Rating: R

Runtime: 111 min

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Metascore

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Critic Reviews

James Berardinelli

Despite its flaws, Total Eclipse is the kind of movie that stirs thoughts and ruminations about the nature of genius, the true meaning of art, and the unfailing capacity of great people to destroy themselves and others. Holland has not matched the success of two of her previous films -- Europa Europa and Olivier Olivier -- but this picture is still a respectable examination of a fascinating historical relationship. Read full review

Hal Hinson

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. Read full review

Roger Ebert

The poems can be read. The film must stand on its own, apart from the poems, and I'm afraid it doesn't. One admires the energy and inventiveness that Holland, Thewlis and DiCaprio put into the film, but one would prefer to be admiring it from afar. Read full review

Time Out London Staff (Not Credited)

DiCaprio (Rimbaud) and Thewlis (Verlaine) provide dynamic if mismatched performances, though there's no excusing Hampton's own laughable cameo, nor the protracted coda with DiCaprio doing a Peter O'Toole in the desert. Read full review

Janet Maslin

Unfortunately, the mad romanticism of Rimbaud's exploits has been made to look preposterous here, despite a cast that should have been magnetic in its own right. Total Eclipse clumsily exaggerates both these characters, from the moment when Rimbaud begins savoring experience in a laughably over-the-top poetic manner. Read full review

Barbara Shulgasser

In Total Eclipse, directed by Agnieszka Holland, they fail to persuade us that their versions of the 19th century French poets Arthur Rimbaud and Paul Verlaine were great artists. They just seem like rattle-brained hedonists with superiority complexes. Genius ought to be as alluring as any other well-developed human attribute, like beauty or sexuality. If this is genius, we are in trouble. Read full review

Todd McCarthy

A good biographical film about artists should, at the very least, inspire the viewer to learn more about its subjects and the work they created. Total Eclipse has totally the opposite effect, of making one never want to hear about its protagonists again. This misbegotten look at the mutually destructive relationship between the 19th century French poets Arthur Rimbaud and Paul Verlaineis a complete botch in all respects. Read full review

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All_ButTrU4

Aug 17, 2022

Abysmal in every sense of the word,nothing here is worth watching. DiCaprio delivers one of his worst performances as a young troubled poetry genius alongside David Thewlis thin portrayal of a good older poet. The movie prefers to use it's artistic license to linger on naked bodies orAbysmal in every sense of the word,nothing here is worth watching. DiCaprio delivers one of his worst performances as a young troubled poetry genius alongside David Thewlis thin portrayal of a good older poet. The movie prefers to use it's artistic license to linger on naked bodies or violence without feeling justified whilst doing so. It feels completely senseless. The director should be ashamed as the movies composition is near traumatic with how under undercooked it is . It cuts sharply from scene to scene and in those scenes it never really knows where it should focus. An unfortunate failure.… Expand

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