In the Hand of Dante: Netflix’s star
Slate Magazine • • entertainment
Key Points:
- Julian Schnabel’s Netflix film In the Hand of Dante features a star-studded cast including Oscar Isaac, Gal Gadot, Gerard Butler, Al Pacino, and Martin Scorsese, but is criticized as a beautifully shot yet confusing and campy mess.
- The movie, based on Nick Tosches’ novel, intertwines a modern story about authenticating a stolen Vatican manuscript with 14th-century scenes depicting Dante’s life, but lacks the suspense and coherence expected of a thriller.
- Critics note the film’s flawed portrayal of Dante, who is reimagined as a rebellious Romantic poet, diverging dramatically from the historical, devout Catholic figure known for his structured vision of sin and order.
- The contemporary storyline strains credibility, particularly in its depiction of gangsters entrusting a writer with a priceless manuscript, and the film’s medieval dialogue and accents are seen as awkward and overdone.
- Overall, the film’s mix of grand ambitions, campy performances, and incoherent narrative results in a confusing experience that fails to do justice to either Tosches’ novel or Dante’s legacy.
