At Eternity's Gate (2018)

Vincent Van Gogh (Willem Dafoe) is in Paris and trying to establish himself as an artist.  He sells nothing.  The shop clerk where he has displayed his paintings demands that he remove them immediately.  At a meeting of painters, there is a proposal to spread the income from those paintings that sell among all the members.  Paul Gaugin (Oscar Isaac) storms out and Vincent follows.  Thanks to his brother, Theo, Vincent moves to the south of France and paints.  He has his breakthrough in style though no one appreciates it.  Gaugin visits - being paid by Theo to do so - but soon leaves.  Vincent slices off an ear and is soon in a sanitarium.  Arles no longer wants him so he moves back to Paris and produces almost a painting a day until his untimely death.

The movie attempts to put the viewer in the mindset of Van Gogh.  This rarely works and is mostly annoying.  There are many times when the screen is blurry and discolored.  Frequently, exchanges Vincent has are repeated several times as he weeps and wanders about.  When he is coherent, he is often abrupt and it becomes clear why he does not get along well with others.  I am far more interested in exploring his art than his mental illnesses.  Yes, one may lead to the other but putting the emphasis on the art would have been better.

 

The movie proposes that a pair of hooligans shot Van Gogh and buried the canvas he had been painting.  What is this about?  It does not delve further into it, as such it should have left is out and just had a gunshot (off screen) followed by Vincent walking back to town with a bullet wound.  Don't introduce conspiracy theories if you aren't going to explore it.

 

Dafoe is terrific in the role, an inspired choice.  He is 62 and Van Gogh died at 37.  But Van Gogh had a difficult life and Dafoe perfectly shows that.

 

I know little of Gaugin and have never cared for his art.  Isaac plays him as a know-it-all jerk.  He is constantly lecturing Van Gogh on how to be a good painter while Vincent counters with his opinions with equal confidence but less vigor.  If anything, I like Gaugin less from this depiction of him.

 

It is a difficult movie to watch but has its moments.