Rating: 
Summary: Passion
Review: My great grandmother told me many tales of a distant relative, a poet named Arthur Rimbaud. This film followed quite closely, allowing for some cinematic license, the memories she shared. To those who criticize the film, perhaps you prefer your passion neatly packaged. This film abandons pretense and successfully depicts the heated passion that both fuels genius and consumes it.
Rating: 
Summary: bizarre and mystifying
Review: I've left the television to write this review, as I was worried that any more eye-rolling was going to damage my vision. Leo di Caprio as the French Symbolist poet, Rimbaud? Well, it's actually WORSE than I could have imagined! It's as if he's accidentally wandered from Los Angeles, 1995, into a Masterpiece Theatre production, complete with typically excellent British actors. It even sounds as if he's ad libbing lines, they're so utterly anachronistic. I guess I could try to see this as a time-travel story-- then his fist-in-the-air "woo!" wouldn't seem like an asonishing directorial lapse as much as an illustration of behavioral differences between fin de siecle France and contemporary American teen culture.I'd love to see what Mystery Science Theater could do with this goofy waste of film and decent British actors. I second the previous reviewer who suggested just getting a couple of books of poetry instead of this film.
Rating:
Summary: Two Great Actors Portraying Two Great Poets
Review: I was not familiar with the two poets depicted in this movie prior to seeing the film. Afterwards, I was intrigued enough to read books of Rambaud's poetry & biography. I felt that Leonardo DiCaprio provided a wonderful portrayal the manipulative and at times cruel French teen poet/genius, Aurthor Rambaud. David Thewlis' portrayal of Rambaud's violent, yet weak poet/lover , Paul Verlaine, is equally masterful. Neither actor pulled any punches while portraying characters who are not particularly likable. Perhaps that is why this film was not well received initially. Like most of DiCaprio's films other than TITANIC, this film is not meant to have a broad appeal for mass audiences. I think the best part of this film is its honest portrayal of how sex is used by both Rambaud and Verlaine's wife to manipulate Paul Verlaine. In the end Verlaine's weakness causes him to lose the affection of both. This is a character-driven film that I found riveting. I highly recommend this film. But, it is not for everybody.
Rating:
Summary: I watched "Total Eclipse" so you don't have to.
Review: Your interest in the plot of "Total Eclipse" depends largely on whether or not your are able to suspend disbelief for almost two hours and embrace Leonardo DiCaprio as a famous poet; believe me, it's near impossible. This period piece on the highly offbeat romance between two 19th century poets is a hammy, borish, and even aggravating film that becomes so ludicrous in its final hour that Death becomes the character to root for. The movie gets off to a rocky start with Arthur Rimbaud (DiCaprio) venturing to the home of Paul Verlaine (David Thewlis), who also embraces poetry. Despite his pregnant wife's urgings that he stay home for the birth of their child, Verlaine ventures out on the town with his new friend; the two cause a ruckus as a poetry reading, and become lovers of a sort. The story then develops a cycle that involves Verlaine meeting Rimbaud for a night of gratification, then returning home in a drunken stupor to physically torment his wife and even his child. What will ensue is a charybdis of deceit as Verlaine returns to his wife only to leave her for Rimbaud once again, and their descent into depravity, both physically and emotionally. Much of the second half is an attempt to bring out a psychological warfare between Rimbaud's haughty, contemptuous mind and Verlaine's more passive, sensitive state. Instead of being intriguing and thought-provoking, Rimbaud's insults come off as mere insults to our intelligence, and to our hunger for strong material. The movie's biggest problem lies with the characters themselves, who are some of the most successful hate-inducing characters to come along in quite a while. Verlaine is portrayed as little more than a whiny, emotionally needy twit with no sense of reasoning or understanding of his life; even when it comes time for him to take a stand for himself, leaving Rimbaud behind to go on to Brussels, he breaks down and sends for him. His constant blubbering and twisted views of being faithful to one's spouse are completely banal and handled by the screenwriters in all the wrong ways. Rimbaud is the exact opposite of Verlaine, though not in an appealing manner. As previously mentioned, he is shown as being cocky and believes himself to be superior to all other writers for his ability to see the truth in all situations of life. However true (or untrue) this may be to the actual attitude of Rimbaud himself, the movie goes too far with the character; from the very beginning, he is a pest beyond measure, from his carrying-on at the poetry reading to his constant expositories on the meaning of life and the non-existence of love. When it came time for Verlaine to leave him behind, I almost cheered, as I did when his death finally arrived. And just as the characters are boring, the actors bring an equal level of disinterest to the film, most notably DiCaprio. His overindulgence in his character is evident throughout, and he fails to generate any emotion or believable intensity in Rimbaud. Even Thewlis's performance seems forced; he seems to look right through the material and not believe in any of it. Together, the two have little chemistry or intensity, and the romance sours in the wake of their hammy acting. In the end, poor pacing, sloppy characterization, and extremely cumbersome acting bring out the worst that the film has to offer, which is little to begin with. There is a large absence of emotional connectivity between the characters and the audience, a trait that may have added some measure of interest to the story. At one hour and fifty-one minutes, "Total Eclipse" wears out its welcome long before it has introduced itself.
Rating:
Summary: Disturbing & Brilliant
Review: Friends of Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan romantic comedies beware! This is a love story, but not your usual Hollywood fare. This pre-Titanic film reminds us that DiCaprio is truly a fine actor, who was willing to take risks for the challenge of a good role. And boy, did he find one here: Arthur Rimbaud. Joining DiCaprio in this tale of 19th century French poets is the brilliant David Thewlis as Paul Verlaine. There is actually not a single character in this film who is really likable, and that's what separates it from the rest of the pabulum that we tend to get as a daily diet. There are moments that you adore them, then minutes later they couldn't be more loathsome. How like the real world! How like ourselves! The psychological roller coaster ride of a relationship between two brilliant, but - through their genius - thoroughly disturbed, people is fascinating and never for a second boring. It's not warm and fuzzy, but it will move you all the same.
Rating:
Summary: A film I completely changed my mind about...
Review: When I first saw this movie, I hated it, and hated it bad. Looking back, what I hated was that BOTH Rimbaud and Verlaine were portrayed as hateful people. Rimbaud was a destructive little brat, and Verlaine betrayed both Rimbaud and his wife, showing abominable cruelty to the wife and endangering their child -- not to mention his drunkenness and setting her hair on fire while drunk! I rented the DVD last week, and this time around I was ready for the two main characters and their enormous flaws, and much to my surprise, once you get past this, "Total Eclipse" is a superb portrayal of a love affair. This is no minor fling or casual encounter, but an tempestuous romance. The kisses (right up there on screen) are the first kisses between men I have ever seen on film which felt REAL to me; hungry, devouring, impatient. The bedroom scenes are the same, and the whole movie is faithful in portraying the immensity of the love flowing between Rimbaud and Verlaine. In one memorable scene, Rimbaud stabs Verlaine (in the palm of his open hand), apparently because Verlaine is not taking this seriously enough, and the next moment they are passionately embracing. All this argues MAJOR acting skills on the part of Leonardo de Caprio and David Thewlis. This is an excellent film which will live for a long, long time. Leonardo may be remembered for this more than "Titanic." They say it's his favorite of all the films he has done.
Rating: 
Summary: Transport yourself in time and mood
Review: A beautiful film. The music and cinematography transport you to a latter 19th century Paris that feels too dark and damp to inspire the genius of Arthur Rimbaud, yet it does. The film eloquently illustrates that Rimbaud interpreted the world to have a fourth dimension, in which he easily transcended corporeal banality to inhabit his own experiential realm. Rimbaud is played to perfection by Leonardo DiCaprio, who brilliantly captures the essence of the haunted, petulant poet. The screenplay is remarkable in its wit and leaness of hyberbole. David Thewlis delivers an unforgetable performance, as does Rohane Bohinger as Rimbaud's sister.
Rating:
Summary: A provocative and subtle film
Review: ... It's actually quite a good film--nothing at all like _Amadeus_, though it *is* a period piece that seems at times to inhabit the late 20th century rather than the late 19th. DiCaprio turns in a persuasive performance, with all of the requisite arrogance, brilliance, and volatility, and Thewlis--who always strikes me as oddly beautiful and conveys a rich mixture of vulnerability and intensity--plays his thankless role with perfect transparency. Someone once remarked about the recent film _Trick_ that it was unrealistic in depicting any kind of relationship between a piano-playing homebody and luscious go-go boy--two such people would supposedly never even be seen together. Maybe critics have responded to _Total Eclipse_ in the same way: Why would a Rimbaud looking like DiCaprio care for a Verlaine looking like Thewlis? But, in exploring all of the dark ambiguities of a relationship that did, in fact, exist, Holland's film remains both truer to life and ultimately sexier.
Rating: 
Summary: Not historical but has worth as cinematic piece
Review: This story is unfortunately enacting all the rumors of Arthur Rimbaud (pronouced Ram Bo) that were generated after his death by those who wished to enbrace his style but were uncomfortable with the truth of the poet himself. Arthur was a homosexual and never formed any relationship with a woman, nor did he convert at the end. His final parting with Verlaine (Ver lan) was not so smooth because witness who say Verlaine leave the woods that day said that he was bruised and sullen. Likewise there is precious little poetry here. Devestating to any Rimbaud fan with high hopes. But as a film it is quite good, though more graphic than the average movie goer might like. The acting is great, the techincal aspect above reproach. Leo fans should note that Leo has said on a number of occations that this is the film he's proudest of. Basically the story is a boy poet is invited to Paris by a poet of lesser talent but greater renoun. But the boy is such a care free rebel that his 19th century hosts can not stand more than one night of him before he is cast out into the rain. But the older poet will not turn away and ends up destroying his life in pursuit of the boy. The two travel together driving each other nuts until they part violently, with Rimbaud ending up in a hostital and Verlaine ending up in jail. It's pretty cool.
Rating:
Summary: Not a wise move for Dicaprio
Review: I just saw this film two days ago because I think Dicaprio is a great actor. This film is really not entertaining AT ALL. The two actors do not have chemistry to fulfill the story. They break up constantly and "use" each other. At the end we don't even see why they come apart, and the potrayal of Leo as a older man w/ a fake mustache silly. Personally I don't recommend it.
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