Review Total Eclipse DVD: Video Vantage |
by Paul M. Eisen of video vantage Two male 19th Century poets in love, one forsaking wife and child, the other awakening to his new found sensuality - sounds like the ingredients of a fabulous gay love story. Unfortunately, reality differs from fantasy. While Total Eclipse is well worth seeing, its central theme bears close examination and no real life imitation. Loving the fantasy figure one sees in a real life lover can lead to disastrous consequences. In this film based on a true story, Paul Verlaine (played by David Thewus) is a well known French poet of the 1870's. Married to a beautiful woman with whom he has nothing but lust in common, he receives a series of incredibly beautiful and moving poems from a 16 year old Arthur Rimbaud (Leonard Di Caprio). The boy, dubbed a genius by Verlaine, comes to Paris to meet Paul and their world turns upside down. If ever there was a self indulgent, irresponsible, anti-social child with no respect for others, it is Arthur Rimbaud. He considers it the world's responsibility to put up with his rudeness, bad behavior, and expects the world to support him. His family lives in a rural part of France far from the sun and sea he seeks. In the young genius, Paul believes he has found a soul mate and falls madly in love. Passionate love making, graphically depicted, seals their fate. The younger man responds and a tumultuous love affair begins; an affair noted for its cruelty, its violence, its sheer disregard of humanity. Independence and revolution fused together are one thing. Destructive rebellion is another, it can only lead total calamity. Arthur succeeds in destroying Paul's marriage, his career, even his freedom, all while using violence as a means of holding him. Not a pretty tale, but an instructive one; and beautifully acted, especially by the angelic appearing DiCaprio. Total Eclipse's message is one that deserves to be learned. TOTAL ECLIPSE 1995; New Line Home Video Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, David Thewlis, Roman Bohringer, Dominque Blanc Rating: Two Stars Digital Sound: English Dolby 5.1 Surround; English Stereo Surround Widescreen Aspect Ratio: Original Theatrical Aspect Ratio of 1.85:1, Enhanced for Widescreen TVs; Full-Screen Aspect Ratio: 1.3:3:1 Special Features: Theatrical Trailer; Cast and Crew Filmographies; English Closed-Captioning; Chapter Search
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