The subject of Danièle Huillet and Jean-Marie Straub’s Der Tod des Empedokles (The Death of Empedocles, 1987) is the Greek pre-Socratic philosopher Empedocles (c. 490 BC – 430 BC), who lived in the Greek colony of Agrigentum in Sicily. His theories are mentioned in several of Plato’s dialogues. He maintained that all matter is made up of four irreducible elements: water, earth, air and fire. A mystic and a poet, he is considered to be the founder of classical rhetoric. He is also thought to be the last Greek philosopher to write in verse; two fragments of his works survive: Katharmoi (Purifications) and Peri Phuseôs (On Nature). An advocate of democracy, he came into conflict with his fellow citizens of Agrigentum and, as result, was banished with his young disciple, Pausanius. When he was asked to return, he preferred to commit suicide by throwing himself into the active volcano at Mount Aetna.
　　The German writer Friedrich Hölderlin wrote two versions of Der Tod des Empedokles in 1798 and 1800, and a final third version in 1820, all three ultimately unfinished. They were conceived as five-act tragedies and all three differ in plot. According to Michael Hamburger, Hölderlin’s English-language translator,
　　the main reason why Hölderlin finished no version of the play must be that he remained too closely identified with Empedocles, at the very period in his life when his own view of the poet as philosopher, prophet and priest – and as tragic hero – was subject to perpetual crisis and re-examination.
　　Huillet-Straub’s The Death of Empedocles is based on Hölderlin’s first version (the longest of the three), whereas Black Sin is based on the third version.

影评：

电影名：《恩培多克勒之死》

导演：达尼埃尔·于伊耶,让-马里·斯特劳布

主演：威廉姆·伯格,Georg,Brintrup,霍华德·沃侬

评分：0.0/10

《恩培多克勒之死》讲述了

　　The subject of Danièle Huillet and Jean-Marie Straub’s Der Tod des Empedokles (The Death of Empedocles, 1987) is the Greek pre-Socratic philosopher Empedocles (c. 490 BC – 430 BC), who lived in the Greek colony of Agrigentum in Sicily. His theories are mentioned in several of Plato’s dialogues. He maintained that all matter is made up of four irreducible elements: water, earth, air and fire. A mystic and a poet, he is considered to be the founder of classical rhetoric. He is also thought to be the last Greek philosopher to write in verse; two fragments of his works survive: Katharmoi (Purifications) and Peri Phuseôs (On Nature). An advocate of democracy, he came into conflict with his fellow citizens of Agrigentum and, as result, was banished with his young disciple, Pausanius. When he was asked to return, he preferred to commit suicide by throwing himself into the active volcano at Mount Aetna.
　　The German writer Friedrich Hölderlin wrote two versions of Der Tod des Empedokles in 1798 and 1800, and a final third version in 1820, all three ultimately unfinished. They were conceived as five-act tragedies and all three differ in plot. According to Michael Hamburger, Hölderlin’s English-language translator,
　　the main reason why Hölderlin finished no version of the play must be that he remained too closely identified with Empedocles, at the very period in his life when his own view of the poet as philosopher, prophet and priest – and as tragic hero – was subject to perpetual crisis and re-examination.
　　Huillet-Straub’s The Death of Empedocles is based on Hölderlin’s first version (the longest of the three), whereas Black Sin is based on the third version.

这部电影在情感描写方面表现出色，威廉姆·伯格,Georg,Brintrup,霍华德·沃侬的精彩演出赢得了观众和评论家的好评。导演达尼埃尔·于伊耶,让-马里·斯特劳布也成功地将历史事件与浪漫爱情相结合，打造出一部视觉震撼的史诗级作品。此外，电影的音乐也极具感染力，为影片增色不少。

虽然《恩培多克勒之死》已经上映多年，但它依然是一部经典的剧情和史诗级作品。对于那些还没有看过的观众，这部电影绝对值得一看。这部电影从情节、角色刻画和视觉效果等各个方面都十分出色。导演运用了独特的叙事手法，通过人物内心的矛盾和成长历程展现出深刻的人性关怀。演员们的表演也非常生动自然，令人信服。此外，影片的音乐和视觉效果也非常突出，让人印象深刻。总体而言，这是一部值得一看的优秀电影，不仅能够带给您良好的观影体验，还能够引发您对生活的思考和感悟。