of Rimbaud's story. The film is an unflattering portrait of the poet as a young man, and, in turn, an inflated indictment of just about everything artistic at the turn of the century, especially the artists.
In this film, the love between the two men is shown as abusive and violent and ultimately damaging to both.
Rimbaud's father died young. His mother was described by many as an authoritarian figure who sheltered her two sons and did not let them play with others in the village, one of the reasons why Rimbaud turned to literature for an escape. He also reacted violently against his upbringing and looked for an opportunity to leave, finally finding one in 1870, at the height of the Prussian advance, when he ran away to Paris to witness the downfall of Napoleon III. He was arrested there and thrown in jail. Later, he ran away to Brussels, only to be brought home. Once again, he fled to Paris in time to witness the bloody crushing of the Commune. In September 1871, Rimbaud returned to Paris, where he met the poet Verlaine, and a poetic as wel
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