Review of At Eternity's Gate (2018) by Marinelion — 13 Feb 2019

It's great that the film was released by a person related to painting. Defoe did not just act Van Gogh, he lived part of his life as his own. The film opened for me many new interesting facts about the painter, about his attitude to himself, to nature, his sensation of color, strokes, painting in general.

But. All the techniques that the operator has demonstrated according to the director’s intention are understandable. But there are too many of them, so many that it becomes difficult for the common viewer to look, physiologically difficult because of constantly jerking frames.

Sometimes the camera runs alongside Van Gogh, i.e. we see that this is not an artist's vision, but a device that tries to convey movement. This is too obvious and a lot! Close-ups of the face, wonderful.

But also too much. In frames where the close-up shows the face of the doctor, which does not fit in the frame, are unnecessary. If the plan were ordinary, the meaning of the dialogue would not have changed, but it would have been more pleasant to look at the composition.

And frequent pauses on a black background. Such techniques are good for the theater, and 1 - 2 times per performance. In the film, they turned out tightened and not always in those places where it was worth.

Perhaps, if Van Gogh's reasoning were transmitted on the background of his paintings, and not on the background of a black screen, it would be more harmonious. The technique of the operator, showing problems with the vision of Van Gogh, is not clear to the unprepared viewer.