In late spring, 1890, Vincent Van Gogh (Jacques Dutronc) moves to Auvers-sur-Oise, near Paris, and goes under the care of Dr. Paul Gachet. He continues painting while enmeshed in the intricacies of his relationships with his brother Theo, his physician Gachet, and the women in his life, including Gachet’s daughter Marguerite. Fewer than 70 days later, Vincent dies from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Through the lens of Maurice Pialat, one of the most influential directors of French cinema, Van Gogh depicts the great artist’s life through the lens of his personal relationships and his social milieu, eschewing familiar and cliché sensationalistic depictions in order to highlight his humanity.