AT ETERNITY’S GATE

DRAMA / RELEASES FEBRUARY 14 / STARRING WILLEM DAFOE, RUPERT FRIEND, OSCAR ISAAC / 110 MINUTES

Vincent Van Gogh has been recreated in film many times in the past, with varying success. This year, director Julian Schnabel — possibly best known for Miral and The Diving Bell and the Butterfly — has brought the tormented artist to the big screen amid film critic acclaim.

At Eternity’s Gate follows Van Gogh during his final years of life in Arles, France, but it is Willem Dafoe’s Golden Globe-nominated portrayal of the artist that has this film applauded by critics and viewers alike.

While almost double the age of Van Gogh at the time of the film, Dafoe portrays the turmoil of this artist’s inner life with aplomb. In addition to excellent casting, it is clear At

Eternity’s Gate draws on extensive research for its plot and scripting — for example, much of the content is drawn from Van Gogh’s letters though he is never shown writing them, and the film’s ending explores recent theories of the artist’s death instead of the previously accepted history.