Julian Schnabel's Van Gogh Film Premieres at Venice

Julian Schnabel's film 'At Eternity's Gate' premiered at the 75th Venice Film Festival. The movie focuses on Vincent van Gogh's time in Arles, starting in 1888, where he developed his mature style of thick brushstrokes and vivid colors. Schnabel, himself a painter, avoids strict biographical accuracy, instead aiming to convey van Gogh's feverish energy and solitude. The script draws from van Gogh's letters to his brother Theo, used in dialogues with doctors and the asylum priest. Willem Dafoe stars as van Gogh, winning the Volpi Cup for Best Actor. The film also features Mads Mikkelsen as the priest. Schnabel's approach emphasizes the artist's inner state over historical facts, exploring themes of art and existence. The title references van Gogh's 1890 painting 'At Eternity's Gate'. The film covers van Gogh's difficult relations with Arles residents, Paul Gauguin's visit and departure, and his hospitalizations after the ear incident and at Saint-Rémy. The article notes van Gogh's commercialization and numerous previous films and exhibitions, including a Tate Britain retrospective announced for March 2019.