Trama

A look at the life of painter Vincent van Gogh during the time he lived in Arles and Auvers-sur-Oise, France.

During a self-imposed exile in Arles and Auvers-Sur-Oise, France, Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh develops his unique, colorful style of painting. While grappling with religion, mental illness and a tumultuous friendship with French artist Paul Gauguin, van Gogh begins to focus on his relationship with eternity rather than the pain his art causes him in the present.

The last two years (1888-1890) in the life of Vincent van Gogh are presented, those years spent largely in southern France, most specifically Arles. He is driven by his art and what his art means to him, as opposed to the primary goal of making money, which he does not in not selling any of his paintings and thus being supported financially and emotionally by his brother, Theo van Gogh. As opposed to his friend and fellow artist Paul Gauguin who has a modicum of success, Van Gogh is seen as less contemplative about his work due in large part to the speed at which he paints and what is seen as the haphazard style of thick strokes of paint on the canvas, but he is arguably more contemplative regardless of how prolific he is. That overall contemplative nature manifests itself more as madness, seeming or real, as demonstrated by an infamous act concerning his left ear.—Huggo

During a self-imposed exile in Arles, France, Vincent van Gogh develops his unique style of painting. While grappling with mental illness and a tumultuous friendship with Paul Gauguin, van Gogh begins to focus on his relationship with eternity rather than the pain his art causes him in the present.—yusufpiskin

The screen is entirely black as a man talks about how he would like people to feel about him.

A man walks up to a pretty woman caring for sheep along a country road. They talk in French. He asks to draw a picture of her and she seems reluctant.

A man is told to leave and take his paintings with him. It was assumed several artists would be on display, but all the paintings are by the man the audience later learns is Vincent Van Gogh.

A group of men discuss, in French, what the policies for artists will be. Artists will be displayed, but those who are less successful sill do the hard work. Paul Gauguin gets up and strongly objects to their attitude and leaves. Then he has a conversation in English with Van Gogh outside, saying he will leave for Madagascar where he can have more freedom, and he advises Van Gogh to do the same. From the point, most dialogue is in English.

Van Gogh goes to Arles, a small town, but as he sits in a depressing room, he has a hard time being inspired. He does paint his shoes.

In a place where people eat, Madame Ginoux is supposed to be working, but she sits down with Van Gogh, who is reading a very tiny book containing one of Shakespeare's works. The woman has never heard of Shakespeare and asks if he is any good, and Van Gogh explains the man's significance. Madame Ginoux says she enjoys reading, but what she likes is less complex. Knowing Van Gogh is an artist, she gives him a book with blank pages. Needing a place to stay, Van Gogh accepts when he is told of a vacant house nearby.

Outside in nature, Van Gogh is much more inspired. In one scene, sunflowers have turned brown. But Van Gogh starts working when he can see a lot more green.

A woman is making Van Gogh's bed when they have another conversation. In a later scene, she sees him paint flowers and he explains how the flowers will fade but the painting will not. He wants to paint the woman but she is reluctant when he says he can not only keep her looking as she does now but also make her younger.

Back in nature, Van Gogh paints the roots of a fallen tree. A group of students is excited to see a painter and they disobey the teacher who doesn't think they should bother him. The teacher laments the way artists have begun painting what is not real, and saying that is not really art. Then the students begin to annoy Van Gogh, who yells at them, and they run away.

At night in town, a boy harasses Van Gogh, and he does something to the boy and a group of men subdue him.

Van Gogh is in the hospital when his brother Theo visits. Theo promises to support his brother, who is destitute even though people love his paintings and they have been put on display. None of that matters if no one buys them. Theo leaves as the audience hears him reading a letter to Gauguin. Though Theo isn't rich and has to return to the city, he will pay Gauguin 250 francs a month if he visits Vincent, and Theo will also buy some of Gauguin's work.

Van Gogh is very happy to see Gauguin, and they both go out to nature and work on their own paintings, discussing different approaches to art. Van Gogh says he doesn't see things the way the rest of the world does and that he should illustrate that in his work, and he thinks there is something wrong with him. Gauguin disagrees about whether the paintings should represent something real, but they remain friends.

By himself, Van Gogh does black and white sketches of what he actually sees in the book he was given by Madame Ginoux. For a short time, the audience sees everything in black and white.

In some scenes, Van Gogh paints in his yellow room. Some outdoor scenes are almost entirely yellow.

Eventually, Gauguin announces he hates small towns and their people and has to leave. This distresses Van Gogh greatly, and as he walks outside nearly everything is blue.

The screen turns black again and Van Gogh sounds like he is talking to a psychiatrist. When the audience can see again, he is in fact talking to some kind of doctor, and his ear is bandaged because he says he cut it off.

The doctor recommends Van Gogh commit himself to an asylum and assures Van Gogh this is voluntary. He also assures Van Gogh he can continue to paint. Van Gogh will be devastated if he can't.

At the asylum Van Gogh is shown in a straitjacket confined to a room. Later he has a conversation with another patient as water is being poured on a large group of men.

Van Gogh and other patients are exercising in the yard when Van Gogh is called to talk to a priest. They have a conversation where Van Gogh denies ever molesting children. Van Gogh says he knows scripture very well because his father was a clergyman and Van Gogh considered being one too. The priest is not pleased with the unpleasant work Van Gogh does, but Van Gogh says he was given a gift by God and even if his work is unpleasant, that must be what God wants him to do. And maybe Van Gogh is painting for people not born yet. Finally, the priest says Van Gogh can leave.

Everything changes colors from time to time and even appears blurry, as if Van Gogh is having mental problems.

Out in the country again, the scene with the woman and the sheep is repeated, but it is longer and the woman is frightened by Van Gogh's behavior.

Van Gogh visits Theo and his wife and while he is promised Theo will take care of him, Van Gogh wants to try to make it on his own. He is also told the people of Arles don't want him back.

While painting, Van Gogh is bothered by some boys who steal and bury Van Gogh's work. There is a gunshot and Van Gogh is fatally wounded. Theo makes one last visit but it is too late.

Van Gogh is shown in a casket surrounded by his paintings, as many people gather.

Words on screen explained the death of Van Gogh and the fact his sketches were not found for over a hundred years.

During the credits, the screen turns yellow and Gauguin reads in French as English subtitles appear, then the credits resume.