Total Eclipse

When Verlaine meets the young Rimbaud in 1871, he is struck by the teenager’s youthful beauty and arrogant appearance. He later discovers that this is the poet who has sent him samples of his work. Verlaine, a highly respected poet, realises that the young Rimbaud’s work is extraordinary – the boy is a genius. For Verlaine, dissatisfied with his life, Rimbaud becomes a safety valve, an escape route. They begin to spend more and more time together. Verlaine’s wife Mathilde suspects they have become lovers and threatens her husband with divorce. He, in turn, leaves her and goes to London with Rimbaud. Their struggle will lead Verlaine to prison, while Rimbaud will depart for Africa.