9-Minute Standing Ovation for Julian Schnabel’s In The Hand Of Dante in Venice, Followed by Negative Reviews
According to CinemaDrame News Agency, Julian Schnabel’s In The Hand Of Dante received over nine minutes of applause at the 82nd Venice Film Festival. While the film’s score has yet to be announced, it has already drawn a wave of negative reviews.
Based on the novel by Nick Tosches, the film follows the sudden appearance of a manuscript of Dante’s Divine Comedy on the black market. When smugglers summon a student named Nick, played by Oscar Isaac, to authenticate the text, he deceives the mafia and steals the book. Nick embarks on a dark and violent journey with his lover Giulietta, one that mirrors the life of Dante himself—a man trapped in a loveless marriage who fled Sicily to create his greatest work.
At 18, Dante meets Italian poet Guido Cavalcanti, who urges him to travel to Venice and introduce himself to a wise master—portrayed by Martin Scorsese—to seek guidance for writing The Divine Comedy. The narrative structure of In The Hand Of Dante intertwines the 14th and 21st centuries, while featuring a demonic figure, played by Benjamin Clementine, who can see both past and future. Clementine also contributed to the film’s score and joins a cast that includes John Malkovich, Gal Gadot, Jason Momoa, and Luis Cancelmi.
Critics, however, were not convinced. The Wrap wrote: “This film may be unhinged and audacious, but those qualities aren’t always praiseworthy. One can boldly make the greatest film ever—or boldly walk face-first into a brick wall. At least Schnabel paints beautiful pictures on the wall.”
Little White Lies commented: “Schnabel’s film isn’t even entertaining enough to be considered a fascinating disaster.”
Metro noted: “Like Coppola’s Megalopolis, this is a distinctive work from a veteran filmmaker who rages and indulges to excess, and at times, it’s an incomprehensible film that claims to address big themes but mostly leaves audiences bewildered.”
The film’s negative reception has only been sharpened by reports that a full, high-quality version of the film has already leaked.
