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Martin Eden

Play trailer 2:08 Poster for Martin Eden Released Oct 16, 2020 2h 9m History Drama Romance Play Trailer Watchlist
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88% Tomatometer 108 Reviews 70% Popcornmeter 50+ Ratings
After Martin Eden meets Elena, he tries to achieve a place among the literary elite through self-education.
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Martin Eden

Martin Eden

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Critics Consensus

Martin Eden uses one man's quest for fulfillment as fuel for an ambitious -- and often rewarding -- look at a complex array of social and personal themes.

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Critics Reviews

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Simran Hans Observer (UK) The film traces Martin's love affair with the pursuit of individual advancement. Like capitalism, it's seductive. Rated: 4/5 Jul 12, 2021 Full Review Guy Lodge Film of the Week In Italian star Luca Marinelli, he's cast a true-blue matinee idol as the tortured hero: in an extraordinary performance that matches brute physicality to soulful interior yearning, he carries the film on square shoulders. Jul 9, 2021 Full Review Paul Byrnes Sydney Morning Herald So much narrative ambition can be enervating, but Marinelli's performance is mesmerizing. It helps that he is broodingly beautiful, somewhere between Brando and Belmondo Jun 24, 2021 Full Review Ben Flanagan Vague Visages “In ‘Martin Eden,’ the games that Marcello plays with form and structure coalesce into an immensely moving film, which — grounded by the standout turn from Marinelli — offers a new direction for the stale “Great American Novel” adaptation.” Feb 10, 2024 Full Review Emiliano Basile EscribiendoCine ... The film surpasses the story it tells to capably broach social and philosophical confines without ever overstating them. [Full review in Spanish] Rated: 8/10 Jan 18, 2023 Full Review Edward Porter Sunday Times (UK) As a kind of postmodern spin on a Visconti-type melodrama, the film is something to see. The storyline itself, though, is a bit tiresome in its old-fashionedness. Rated: 3/5 Dec 6, 2022 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (18) audience reviews
Alec B I have a feeling this is less profound of an adaptation than the filmmakers think, that said I do appreciate the performances and the ending. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/10/24 Full Review Jon T This is a curiosity: I cannot really understand why people keep remaking this. The book is an exploration of the proto fascist ideas of Herbert Spencer who attempted to apply the survival of the fittest to human society. The eponymous hero is physically and mentally powerful so that he can flourish in a tough working class environment and conquers bourgeois society. He is a Spencerian Superman but it brings no fulfillment. All a bit weird if you ask me. The film feels disjointed and the underlying themes outdated. We have social security now for heavens sake. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 11/03/23 Full Review aurora a A movie masterpiece by director Pietro Marcello starring a very convincing and passionate Luca Marinelli. Jack London would be proud. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review isla s This is a thoughtful watch - I was concerned it may be a bit too Les Miserables-esque, a film focussing purely on the pain of those far down the 'pecking order', which is the case in one respect but I actually thought this came across as a more hopeful film than I think I'd expected. Yes its about fighting against the opressive government/society/employers etc. 'the system' but its also a romance story and a story about a writer trying to find his feet (and his voice). The script is decent and I thought it was quite a gripping watch really. Yes, I would recommend this film, though its perhaps a bit of a challenging watch thematically but its certainly not entirely the gloom and doom I somehow imagined it to be (maybe I'm wearing rose tinted spectacles?). I also thought that Luca Marinelli gave a very good performance as the titular character. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member excellent italian reinterpretation of jack london Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/07/23 Full Review wayne m Martin Eden is an ambitious, vibrant and bold film about a magnetic personality undergoing a journey of life. Based on the 1909 novel by Jack London this superb film has been moved to Naples, Italy. It's hard to pinpoint which era though as the technology changes through out the film. Eden is a sailor living a roustabout life with little education. He rescues a young man at the docks and is taken home to his family, the Orsinis. The Orsinis live a rich life of wealth and art and science. Eden falls in love with their daughter, Elena, and also vows to make himself educated and become a writer. The journey is a fruitful one and a long one. It's engaging and triumphant. The film is a heady mix of sex, politics and high idealism. All of which is anchored by a magnetic performance by Luca Marinelli. A film of high ambition and firm ideas. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Read all reviews
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Cast & Crew

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Movie Info

Synopsis After Martin Eden meets Elena, he tries to achieve a place among the literary elite through self-education.
Director
Pietro Marcello
Producer
Beppe Caschetto, Viola Fügen, Pietro Marcello, Thomas Ordonneau, Michael Weber
Screenwriter
Maurizio Braucci, Pietro Marcello
Distributor
Kino Lorber
Production Co
Arte, Regione Lazio, RAI Cinema, Ministero per i Beni e le Attività Culturali, Regione Campania, L'Aide aux Cinémas du Monde, IBC Movie, Bayerischer Rundfunk (BR), Centre National du Cinéma et de L'image Animée, Avventurosa, Shellac Sud, Mitteldeutsche Medienförderung, Film Commission Regione Campania, The Match Factory
Genre
History, Drama, Romance
Original Language
Italian
Release Date (Theaters)
Oct 16, 2020, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Jan 24, 2021
Runtime
2h 9m
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