Vincent Van Gogh is considered to be one of the greatest and most inspirational painters in history, but Julian Schnabel’s own work of art, “At Eternity’s Gate”, does not say he lived a very satisfying life in the end. In fact, it would end up being depressing as a soaked up buttermilk pancake from IHOP. What this exactly represents is a sad-but-beautiful force of film making that Schnabel creates shot-by-shot making this one of the most under-appreciated films of this year so far.
The film inserts us into the world of Vincent (Willem Dafoe) as a clever use of a black screen is shown hearing him narrate, then enters into a relationship between him and his younger brother Theo (Rupert Friend) in an area where Vincent’s paintings are completely unsuccessful. Synced to the melancholic score of Tatiana Lisovskaya, Vincent Van Gogh settles in the colorful garden of Arles bringing a calm personality to him while at the same time feeling reserved. Later in the film, his stress comes like a tidal wave as he delves into a relationship with another painter named Paul Gauguin (Oscar Isaac). There is a great scene in the film where Gauguin notices a change in Van Gogh’s painting and Van Gogh tells him, “The faster I paint, the better I feel.”
The plot in this film as you can see is telling about the last days of Vincent Van Gogh. A similar film from Rupert Everett called “The Happy Prince” explained the themes and moods of Oscar Wilde in his last days of living. What this film does better than that film is Schnabel goes very deep in the themes of depression through many different utilities of filmmaking rather than how Rupert Everett did it.
Willem Dafoe is beyond phenomenal in this film playing such a delicate, yet reserved Vincent where you feel every raw emotion he is going through. He is not the Willem Dafoe you would see in something like “The Florida Project” and “Platoon”. Instead, he is more soft and quiet as an established, reserved painter would behave. I would not be surprised if he snubbed Rami Malek for his lead role in “Bohemian Rhapsody” because there are at times that he can feel rancorous, but not like an evil rancorous though. There is an example of this when he gradually motivates a young woman to move a certain way in the opening shot of the film. That woman felt like he was rancorous, but Van Gogh’s perspective doesn’t because it is true art. By the end of the year, this is going to roar many award ceremonies as a deserved nomination in the Best Actor category.
Also, there are top-notch performances from Mads Mikkelsen as a tranquil priest Van Gogh interacts at the Arles hospital, a greatly overlooked Oscar Isaac playing a differential, but friendly painter Paul Gauguin, and Rupert Friend playing his younger brother Theo.
To me, arguably the greatest aspect of this film would be the cinematography marvelously shot by Benoit Delhome, whom reminds in this film as a strong influence by Emmanuel Lubezki (cinematographer of such masterpieces like “The Revenant”, “Children of Men”, and “Gravity”). The way his camera shakes especially during the last act of the film has such a impactful emotion on the film and it’s characters making it feel it was even directed by Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu of “The Revenant”. Truth be told, like Vincent Van Gogh, Benoit Delhomme was also born in France so that opens a door of inspiration.
Not only does the cinematography work, but also an important ingredient when making a melancholic beauty of a film would be it’s musical score. Prepare a Best Original Score nomination for Tatiana Lisovskaya because every scene feels very important like last year’s “Phantom Thread” by Radiohead’s Jonny Greenwood. The reason being is because the score is at certain times very absent during the middle of the film since Lisovskaya takes time for the audience to cope with Vincent and executes it beautiful. The greatest example when that occurs is when Van Gogh is in his happy place in the yellow, green gardens of Arles.
This has to probably be the greatest execution of Van Gogh to ever exist on film (even though I did not see the animated “Loving Vincent” last year) that I was emotionally moved when the credits rolled. For sure, definitely support Julian Schnabel’s work of art that he created which feels the true beauty of film making of a melancholic stand point.
Grade: 9.5/10
