Review of Eternity's Gate

01

When I learned about Van Gogh’s paintings in art classes in elementary and junior high schools in China, it didn’t have much of a profound impact on me. However, the picture of bright yellow sunflowers was unforgettable. Until I saw it again in the cinema, strangely, I didn't feel familiar or bored.

"Van Gogh is probably the loneliest man in the world." This sentence I have heard many times lingered in my mind while watching the movie. In the film, Van Gogh, played by Dafu, was impoverished, but he maintained the basic sentiments of an artist without many choices. A weirdo in the eyes of others, he actually had the stubbornness, arrogance, and naive romance of a child. I walk through the vast fields every day to find and record the "beauty" in nature. He said that the beauty of flowers is short-lived, and only art can maintain the eternity of beauty, at least it will last longer than the short-term.

Van Gogh was doomed to live a lonely life and struggled to bear his own insignificance. He did not have all the things that make people feel "big" in the real world (fame, money, marriage, mansion, health). But on the other hand, this "nothing" is the decisive factor that makes him gradually settle down. Pursuing beauty in loneliness and poverty is his current life situation.

I wonder if you have ever spent a period of time settling in loneliness?

02

This is a film about a painter made by a painter. The film includes director Julian Schnabel’s detailed thoughts on Van Gogh, his understanding of paintings, and his understanding of Van Gogh as a painter. People should feel the call of reality more deeply. I personally liked the director's previous film "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly", but this "At Eternity's Gate" feels a bit shallow in both emotion and meaning, lacking depth and novelty, and feels a bit rushed.

The most outstanding thing about this film is probably Willem Dafoe's performance. Coupled with the photographer's large number of handheld and extremely close shots, it makes people feel like they are with the characters. The costumes, makeup, and props are also very carefully crafted, which is a thumbs up.

When I went to see the movie, there was a question and answer session with Willem Dafoe after the movie.

I feel like he is a very sincere and well-spoken actor. After the host has said a lot of nice things, he will say "you've said many nice things, but I don't know", and then talk about his very real experience.

Regarding painting, he said that he learned to paint for this movie. Every stroke in the painting is connected with other strokes. Through these connections, the whole painting has a unique meaning. vitality. Regarding the special photography techniques of this movie, he said that in some movies, you need to be aware of the camera, and you have to get a kind of performance tension from it. In other movies, you need to forget the camera, and you forget that you are performing. , this film is the latter. Regarding acting, he said that "pretending" is a very beautiful thing for acting. You make yourself transparent and let the character seep in, but you don't abandon yourself. In the end, when everything blends together naturally, the performance is a natural expression. . When it comes to choosing film projects, he said that what he values ??most is a film maker. If he is a very interesting and thoughtful person, and there is something he feels he can contribute to the film, he will take it without hesitation. , as for the company, contracts, etc., they are all things that he hardly considers.

I didn’t originally want to write a film review, but I really like Willem Dafoe’s style and was influenced by him to write this gentle and honest film review.