Julian Schnabel, the painter‑turned‑filmmaker known for intimate portraits of tormented artists, returns to familiar territory with In the Hand of Dante. This ambitious project intertwines the biographical struggle of Dante Alighieri—the legendary author of The Divine Comedy—with a present‑day criminal chase for a purported original manuscript. The result is a dual‑narrative film that toggles between hushed historical reverence and high‑octane crime pulp, offering both artistic gravitas and genre thrills.
Synopsis
The film opens in 14th‑century Italy, where Oscar Isaac portrays Dante Alighieri grappling with a crippling creative block. Exiled from Florence and wandering through Sicily, he seeks the inspiration to complete his magnum opus while his devoted wife, Gemma (Gal Gadot), watches from the sidelines. Meanwhile, a parallel story unfolds in the early 2000s, centering on Nick Tosches, a cynical writer and Dante scholar, who becomes entangled in a shadowy conspiracy orchestrated by the enigmatic Joe Black (John Malkovich).
Nick is tasked with acquiring what is rumored to be the long‑lost original copy of The Divine Comedy from an aging mafioso in Palermo. Teamed with the ruthless Louie (Gerard Butler) and aided by a relentless enforcer named Rosario (Jason Momoa), Nick must authenticate the manuscript while dodging assassins and double‑crosses.
The two timelines are designed to echo each other—each narrative a meditation on artistic creation, obsession, and the lengths people will go to possess legend. The synopsis avoids major twists to preserve the film’s surprises for viewers.
Performances
Oscar Isaac delivers a nuanced portrayal of Dante, capturing the poet’s internal conflict and fleeting moments of divine inspiration. His quiet intensity lifts the historical sequences, giving the audience a sense of Dante’s isolation and determination. Gal Gadot brings a poised elegance to Gemma, providing emotional grounding despite her limited screen time.
In the modern storyline, Isaac again stars as Nick Tosches, striking a weary cynicism that contrasts sharply with his historical counterpart. John Malkovich is hauntingly ambiguous as Joe Black, while Gerard Butler relishes the brutishness of Louie, delivering a performance that feels both dangerous and darkly comedic. Jason Momoa’s Rosario offers a physical menace that elevates the film’s pulse‑pounding action beats.
The ensemble also features brief cameo appearances—most notably Martin Scorsese as a bearded sage whose cryptic counsel evokes the Renaissance era. Each actor contributes to the film’s layered tone, balancing solemn historical drama with kinetic crime spectacle.
Behind the Lens
Director Julian Schnabel employs a distinctive visual strategy to differentiate the two timelines. The 14th‑century scenes are shot in a boxed 4:3 aspect ratio with warm, muted colors, underscoring the intimacy and reverence of the period. In contrast, the 2000s sequences use widescreen, black‑and‑white cinematography to convey a stark, contemporary feel. This stylistic split mirrors the thematic divide between highbrow literature and lowbrow crime.
Schnabel’s script, adapted from Nick Tosches’ novel, weaves together scholarly reverence for The Divine Comedy with a fast‑paced criminal plot. The screenplay largely avoids heavy exposition, trusting the audience’s familiarity with Dante’s legacy. The director’s signature impressionistic flourishes—close‑ups of trembling hands, lingering shots of candlelit parchment—appear primarily in the modern narrative, lending a subtle artistic edge to otherwise conventional thriller sequences.
The film’s score blends classical motifs with modern electronic undertones, reinforcing the juxtaposition of eras. Cinematographer Janusz Kamiński’s work ensures that each locale— from the sun‑drenched Sicilian countryside to the moody Venetian canals—feels both authentic and visually arresting.
Final Verdict
In the Hand of Dante is a daring experiment that refuses to settle into a single genre. Its historical half exudes a quiet, contemplative atmosphere that honors Dante’s literary legacy, while the contemporary storyline provides adrenaline‑fueled intrigue. The dual structure, however, creates a tonal whiplash that occasionally prevents either narrative from attaining full momentum.
Strengths include strong performances, especially Isaac’s dual roles, and the film’s bold visual distinction between past and present. Weaknesses surface in the uneven pacing and the occasional feeling that the two storylines are orbiting each other rather than genuinely intersecting. Nonetheless, the movie succeeds in offering a fresh take on the biopic—eschewing a conventional chronological approach for a layered, genre‑blending meditation on art, ambition, and obsession.
For viewers who appreciate cinema that challenges conventions while delivering star‑driven spectacle, In the Hand of Dante is a compelling, if imperfect, addition to Julian Schnabel’s oeuvre. It invites discussion about the thin line between reverence and exploitation of literary legends, making it a noteworthy entry in both historical drama and crime thriller categories.
In the Hand of Dante is now streaming on Netflix after the theatrical release on June 12, 2026.
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