In 1967, Joe Orton was murdered in his flat by his lover, Kenneth Halliwell. This is how we open Prick Up Your Ears, and through the use of flashbacks we are told the story of these two men and what drew them together and then so far apart. The dynamic between Orton and Halliwell is fascinating and takes us through many important societal, psychological and social themes, but the whole thing is slightly diminished by the gimmick of telling it through a third party.
After Orton's death, Peggy Ramsay helps John Lahr to write a novel based on Orton's life (a novel that the film itself is based on) and we are told their story through her telling the story. It's a really mundane, typical movie structure used to tell a biographical story but it's absolutely unnecessary when these characters and their story is already fascinating on it's own. Any time spent away from Orton and Halliwell feels needless and dampens the impact of when we actually get to see their story on screen, even though Vanessa Redgrave is quite good as Ramsay.
Still, this is a slight detractor when the majority of the film is indeed focused on the growing lives of Orton and Halliwell, how they met and ultimately drove to violence. The progression of this relationship is truly fascinating, as we open on the end and slowly get to see what drives them to such animosity towards each other. I think the film hits on some interesting themes in regards to relationships that aren't touched on much in film; how love can eventually become more of an obligation than a passion, in some cases.
The performances in the lead roles certainly help to highlight the emotional highs and lows of these two men. Alfred Molina is giving the more theatrical, outwardly emotive role of Halliwell, a man constantly at odds with himself and the world around him, constantly trying to hide who he is and grating the nerves of everyone around him. It's a character that could have easily been grating and unbearable to sit through, but Molina's skill manages to make him tragically sympathetic.
The real star though is Gary Oldman, who knocks it out of the park as Orton. The character isn't as showy as Halliwell, but when you look back and consider the progression that he makes in this role, it's absolutely astonishing. It's a very internal performance but, in the way that the best actors are capable of doing, he absolutely transforms throughout the film, making a natural evolution without the audience even noticing. It feels so genuine when you're watching that you can't even tell, but when you get to the end and look back at the beginning, it's absolutely astonishing. He begins as this closeted young man who doesn't even understand who is and over the course of the film is opened into a freed young homosexual and eventually a conceited, arrogant playwright.
The performance is tremendous in it's own right, but becomes even more impressive when you compare it to his portrayal as Sid Vicious in Sid and Nancy the year before. In just one year he goes from an outwardly chaotic and theatrical extreme to such a quiet and internal one. It's absolutely mesmerizing what this man is capable of doing and if you watched these two performances one right after the other, you wouldn't be able to believe that this is the same actor portraying them.
After Orton's death, Peggy Ramsay helps John Lahr to write a novel based on Orton's life (a novel that the film itself is based on) and we are told their story through her telling the story. It's a really mundane, typical movie structure used to tell a biographical story but it's absolutely unnecessary when these characters and their story is already fascinating on it's own. Any time spent away from Orton and Halliwell feels needless and dampens the impact of when we actually get to see their story on screen, even though Vanessa Redgrave is quite good as Ramsay.
Still, this is a slight detractor when the majority of the film is indeed focused on the growing lives of Orton and Halliwell, how they met and ultimately drove to violence. The progression of this relationship is truly fascinating, as we open on the end and slowly get to see what drives them to such animosity towards each other. I think the film hits on some interesting themes in regards to relationships that aren't touched on much in film; how love can eventually become more of an obligation than a passion, in some cases.
The performances in the lead roles certainly help to highlight the emotional highs and lows of these two men. Alfred Molina is giving the more theatrical, outwardly emotive role of Halliwell, a man constantly at odds with himself and the world around him, constantly trying to hide who he is and grating the nerves of everyone around him. It's a character that could have easily been grating and unbearable to sit through, but Molina's skill manages to make him tragically sympathetic.
The real star though is Gary Oldman, who knocks it out of the park as Orton. The character isn't as showy as Halliwell, but when you look back and consider the progression that he makes in this role, it's absolutely astonishing. It's a very internal performance but, in the way that the best actors are capable of doing, he absolutely transforms throughout the film, making a natural evolution without the audience even noticing. It feels so genuine when you're watching that you can't even tell, but when you get to the end and look back at the beginning, it's absolutely astonishing. He begins as this closeted young man who doesn't even understand who is and over the course of the film is opened into a freed young homosexual and eventually a conceited, arrogant playwright.
The performance is tremendous in it's own right, but becomes even more impressive when you compare it to his portrayal as Sid Vicious in Sid and Nancy the year before. In just one year he goes from an outwardly chaotic and theatrical extreme to such a quiet and internal one. It's absolutely mesmerizing what this man is capable of doing and if you watched these two performances one right after the other, you wouldn't be able to believe that this is the same actor portraying them.