Total Eclipse of the Heart

Description

The film is based on the true and passionate secret love affair between two 19th-century French Symbolist geniuses, Paul Verlaine and Arthur Rimbaud. The 16-year-old prodigy and rebellious poet Rimbaud (Leonardo DiCaprio) sends several shocking poems to the middle-aged poet Verlaine (David Thewlis), and is subsequently invited to Paris. Rimbaud's arrogant, unconventional, and wildly unrestrained nature instantly captivates Verlaine, and the two quickly fall into a frenzied love affair that transcends class, gender, and ethical taboos. For Rimbaud, Verlaine abandons his pregnant wife and comfortable life, and the two wander across Europe, tearing and hurting each other amidst absinthe, fervent poetry, and extreme physical intimacy. The film, with its exquisitely detailed and tense cinematography, portrays the poignant struggle between geniuses teetering on the edge of inspiration, sensual indulgence, and despair.