His incendiary poetry assaulted the constraints of European society, helped to define the Symbolist movement, and influenced generations of later writers—including many Surrealists, Beat poets, and even rockers like Jim Morrison. This program combines a stunning visual biography of Arthur Rimbaud with excerpts from key texts, forging a unique study of the poet’s personality and examining his relationship with his mother and with Paul Verlaine. Images and footage of the settings in which Rimbaud grew up, worked, loved, traveled, and lived out his final years provide a dynamic backdrop for readings from “Le bateau ivre,” Une Saison en Enfer, and several other works and letters. (59 minutes)