Edward II (1991)

User Rating:

7.0/10   

Director:

Derek Jarman

Writers:

Ken Butler (writer)
Derek Jarman (writer)

Release Date:

18 October 1991 (UK)

Genre:

Drama | History

Tagline:

A classic tale of sex, revenge, and love.

Plot:

In this Derek Jarman version of Christopher Marlowe's Elisabethan drama, in modern costumes and settings...

Plot Keywords:

King | Gay | Throne | Nobility | Lover

Awards:

5 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Steven Waddington	...	Edward II
Kevin Collins	...	Lightborn, the Jailor
Andrew Tiernan	...	Piers Gaveston
John Lynch	...	Spencer
Dudley Sutton	...	Bishop of Winchester
Tilda Swinton	...	Isabella
Jerome Flynn	...	Kent
Jody Graber	...	Prince Edward
Nigel Terry	...	Mortimer
Jill Balcon	...	Chorus of Nobility
Barbara New	...	Chorus of Nobility
Andrea Miller	...	Chorus of Nobility
Brian Mitchell	...	Chorus of Nobility
David Glover	...	Chorus of Nobility
John Quentin	...	Chorus of Nobility

Runtime:

90 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Australia:M | Finland:K-16 | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | USA:R

Company:

British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)

Trivia:

The poem which Allan Corduner reads from in front of the King is Dante's Divine Comedy.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Edward II: My father is deceased. Come Gaveston, and share the kingdom with thy dearest friend.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Jubilee: A Time Less Golden (2003) (V)

Soundtrack:

Every Time We Say Goodbye

Avoid This

My advice is to avoid this film and try and see a stage version instead.

It is highly unfair, I think, to criticise Marlowe's writing capabilities based on this rather terrible rendition of his play Edward II, as another user has commented on. In this film lines are swapped between characters, scenes are drastically changed, new scenes are added in and key scenes and characters are omitted. The whole film stands as a rather disfigured version of the original play.

Of course perhaps it could be said also to be unfair to criticise it's lack of loyalty to Marlowe's script, after all it is an adaptation. Looking at it simply as a movie it still creates rather laughable viewing. The actors talents are wasted on the directors odd obsession with the surreal and abstract, which is just simply random and out of place. And an odd musical cameo from Annie Lennox just adds to the madness.

To look at the positives yes there are some imaginative shots and several scenes are performed and presented well but as a whole it appears as a rather flimsy and hastily put together film that would be more suited as a three part drama on ITV.