AT ETERNITY’S GATE

If you want a visually beautiful, thoughtful drama about artistic calling and faith, this is worth your time. Willem Dafoe gives an excellent performance as Vincent Van Gogh, and the cinematography captures the wonder Van Gogh found in nature. The film also contains positive references to God and Jesus Christ, including profound statements about God’s calling on Van Gogh’s life.

The film is less satisfying when it tries to place you inside Van Gogh’s mental state. Its unusual camera work can distance you from the man it wants you to understand, and it leaves unclear whether he was crazy, brilliant, or blessed. References to mental instability take up much of the movie, alongside drinking and a discussion of self-harm.

Teens and adults who can engage those themes thoughtfully should see it; younger children may need something else.

During the final few years of his life, Vincent Van Gogh leaves Paris for Arles, a smaller town where he can paint in the sunshine and escape the artistic community he finds pretentious.

As he searches for beauty in nature, Van Gogh wrestles with his artistic gifts, his Christian faith, his mental health, and the lack of appreciation for his work. His friendship with fellow painter Paul Gauguin adds another strain to his already difficult journey.

Four stars means this is an excellent film, especially as a visual experience. The cinematography is stunning, capturing the beauty of nature and the wonder Van Gogh saw within it. Several sequences create a genuine sense of awe.

Willem Dafoe gives an excellent performance, and Oscar Isaac also plays Paul Gauguin excellently. Director Julian Schnabel brings an artist’s eye to the film.

The movie’s weaknesses come from its attempt to embody Van Gogh’s mental state. Actors sometimes speak directly into the camera, and dizzyingly shaky first-person shots can become excessive. Instead of bringing viewers closer to Van Gogh, these choices can distance them from him. The film is beautiful and thoughtful, but it does not fully connect the audience with the real man and his beliefs.

The film presents Van Gogh as an exceptionally gifted artist who believes his ability to paint is a gift from God. He says, “Existence can’t be without reason,” and explains that he paints because God gave him this gift, regardless of whether he receives earthly fame. His faith includes references to Jesus, New Testament verses, his former attempts to become a minister, and trust that the harvest may come later.

That positive vision is muddied by the film’s focus on Van Gogh’s mental instability. He believes he sees things that are not there, fears the way he sees the world, and is committed to a mental institution. The movie does not clearly determine whether he is crazy, brilliant, or blessed, leaving viewers to decide. It also gives little attention to the depth of Van Gogh’s Christian devotion, instead focusing primarily on a mentally unstable artist misunderstood by the world.

Still, the film finds beauty in creation. Van Gogh calls nature “a vibrating energy speaking in God’s voice,” and the cinematography shares his wonder. Scripture likewise teaches that our gifts and work matter before God: “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men” (Colossians 3:23).

This is an excellent, beautifully shot drama with a sincere interest in faith, calling, and beauty. Its treatment of Van Gogh’s mental instability is sometimes distancing, but teens and adults can find much to consider. For thoughtful viewers, the answer is WORTH THE TRIP — TEENS AND ADULTS.