Atom User Reviews for At Eternity's Gate
It is very insightful of the struggles van Gogh, along with his great talent. The filming was beautiful; almost giving some of the effect of how he saw things.
It's largely shot in first and second person, which is immersive but it made me extremely nauseous and highly uncomfortable during the whole movie. The other thing is that they tried to be authentic with the French parts (potentially dubbed?) but then this Dutchman and Frenchman open their mouths to each other and speak in American accents. Immediately jarring. Surely Willem Dafoe and Oscar Isaac could've put some effort into convincing accents? Much of the rest of the cast also had questionable French accents but at least they had accents.
Willem Dafoe becomes Van Gogh!
Spiritual, visionary, sensual - magnificent blend of a great artist.
Wonderful immersion on Van Gogh life,Must see
Very slow. Strangely directed but a fascinating story.
Metacritic
The results are highly affecting – so much so, that viewers who suffer from motion sickness may find the film hard to watch. If the approach feels empathetic rather than pretentious, it’s thanks to a crucial anchor: Willem Dafoe’s subtle and humble performance conjures a pitiable van Gogh, shredded by doubt and estranged from people, yet urgently aware of his painterly vision.
By adamantly focusing above all else on van Gogh’s work — and its transporting ecstasies — Schnabel has made not just an exquisite film but an argument for art.
Schnabel's film is not so much about the artist as a journey into his inner being, so we experience the world in much the same blissed-out, tormented and chaotic way he himself did.