Two poets, one toxic love affair, zero chill — French symbolism never looked this messy.
A cross-section of the relationship between the two great figures of French symbolism, Arthur Rimbaud and Paul Verlaine.
Acting
Leonardo DiCaprio's feral, unhinged Rimbaud debut.
Cinematography
Grainy, feverish 19th-century Europe that feels slightly diseased.
Writing
Dialogue that weaponizes poetry as seduction and warfare.
Director
Tamás Balikó
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
DiCaprio was 19 during filming and allegedly hated the explicit scenes, calling the director 'a mad Hungarian.'
The film was nearly NC-17 and buried by distributors; it took years to find its cult following as an unhinged queer cinema artifact.
HU
