Marat/Sade (1967)

In an insane Asylum, Marquis de Sade directs the Jean Paul Marat's last days through a theather play. The actors are the patients.

Director:

Peter Brook

Writers:

Peter Weiss (play), Geoffrey Skelton (English translation),

Stars:

Patrick Magee, Ian Richardson, Clifford Rose

2 wins.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Patrick Magee	...	Marquis de Sade
Ian Richardson	...	Jean-Paul Marat
Michael Williams	...	Herald
Clifford Rose	...	Monsieur Coulmier
Glenda Jackson	...	Charlotte Corday
Freddie Jones	...	Cucurucu
Hugh Sullivan	...	Kokol
John Hussey	...	Newly Rich Lady
William Morgan Sheppard	...	A Mad Animal
Jonathan Burn	...	Polpoch
Jeanette Landis	...	Rossignol
Robert Langdon Lloyd	...	Jacques Roux (as Robert Lloyd)
John Steiner	...	Monsieur Dupere
James Mellor	...	Schoolmaster
Henry Woolf	...	Father

Storyline

The Marquis de Sade is locked in the Charenton mental hospital and decides to put on a play. His overseers agree as long as he follows certain conditions. He writes and directs the other mental patients in a play based on the life of the Jean-Paul Marat. As the play progresses, the inmates become more and more possessed by the violence of the play and become extremely difficult to control. Finally, all chaos breaks loose.

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Plot Keywords:

marquis de sade | jean paul marat | mental patient | insane asylum | chaos | 

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Genres:

Drama | History | Music

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

13 April 1967 (Sweden)

Also Known As:

A Perseguição e o Assassinato de Jen-Paul Marat Desempenhados Pelos Loucos do Asilo de Charenton Sob a Direção do Marquês de Sade

Filming Locations:

Pinewood Studios, Iver Heath, Buckinghamshire, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Marat Sade Productions, Royal Shakespeare Company

Technical Specs

Runtime:

116 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Patrick Magee won the 1966 Tony Award (New York City) for Supporting or Features Actor in a Drama for "Marat/Sade" as Marquis de Sade recreating his role in this production.

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Quotes

Marquis de Sade: And what's the point of a revolution without general copulation?

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Crazy Credits

The opening credits - the play's title, stage credits and the actors appearing in the film - pop on the screen, one word at a time, until it is filled. The closing credits - the film's production staff - start off with a full screen of words; they then pop off the screen, one word at a time, until it is completely empty...just as it was when the film began.

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Connections

Referenced in Quills (2000)

User Reviews

As vital and contemporary today as when it was first performed.

You do not need to know the details of French history to enjoy (?) this most astonishing and confrontational movie. Remember that this is a cinematic version of a play, and that Director Peter Brooks never loses sight of the physical presence and power that his original stage version was renowned for. Unlike many cinematic treatments of stage drama, this film is essentially theatre - the camera in fact intensifies the claustrophobic setting and puts the viewer in the front row. The performances are uniformly excellent : the intensity and conviction of the cast in their roles is exceptional. This is an emotionally draining, bravura movie that once seen, can not be forgotten.