Paris, 1880: Scandalous and successful sculptor Auguste Rodin (Vincent Lindon) believes he has reached the goal of his dreams. At the age of 40, he receives his first state commission: "The Gates of Hell" - inspired by Dante's "Divine Comedy" - is to adorn the entrance to the new Museum of Decorative Arts in the Louvre in Paris as a bronze portal. Six meters high and four meters wide, the gigantic high relief is made up of individual sculptures that would later become famous, such as "The Thinker" and "The Kiss" - an all-consuming work that would become Rodin's life's work.
A phase of manic creativity begins, which is intensified by Rodin's encounter with the highly talented Camille Claudel (Izïa Higelin), 24 years his junior. For more than a decade, his student is also his lover, a relationship between two geniuses that is as passionate as it is turbulent. Camille is an emancipated woman, absolutely equal to Rodin in terms of craftsmanship and - just like Rodin - far ahead of her time. However, the genius denies her recognition for these qualities throughout his life. The fact that she not only had to share him with his partner, the farmer's daughter Rose Beuret (Séverine Caneele), but also with numerous other affairs, eventually led to a break-up. Inspired by his lover's modernity, Rodin threw himself into his work with even greater obsession, experiencing triumphs and defeats - and, at the age of 60, was ultimately regarded as probably the greatest sculptor of all time, comparable only to Michelangelo...
Paris, 1880: Scandalous and successful sculptor Auguste Rodin (Vincent Lindon) believes he has reached the goal of his dreams. At the age of 40, he receives his first state commission: "The Gates of Hell" - inspired by Dante's "Divine Comedy" - is to adorn the entrance to the new Museum of Decorative Arts in the Louvre in Paris as a bronze portal. Six meters high and four meters wide, the gigantic high relief is made up of individual sculptures that would later become famous, such as "The Thinker" and "The Kiss" - an all-consuming work that would become Rodin's life's work.
A phase of manic creativity begins, which is intensified by Rodin's encounter with the highly talented Camille Claudel (Izïa Higelin), 24 years his junior. For more than a decade, his student is also his lover, a relationship between two geniuses that is as passionate as it is turbulent. Camille is an emancipated woman, absolutely equal to Rodin in terms of craftsmanship and - just like Rodin - far ahead of her time. However, the genius denies her recognition for these qualities throughout his life. The fact that she not only had to share him with his partner, the farmer's daughter Rose Beuret (Séverine Caneele), but also with numerous other affairs, eventually led to a break-up. Inspired by his lover's modernity, Rodin threw himself into his work with even greater obsession, experiencing triumphs and defeats - and, at the age of 60, was ultimately regarded as probably the greatest sculptor of all time, comparable only to Michelangelo...