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IMDbPro

Edward II

  • 19911991
  • RR
  • 1h 27m
IMDb RATING
6.8/10
2.9K
YOUR RATING
Tilda Swinton, Andrew Tiernan, and Steven Waddington in Edward II (1991)
King Edward II hands the power-craving nobility the perfect excuse by taking as lover besides his diplomatic wife, the French princess Isabel, not an acceptable lady at court but the ambitious Piers Gaveston, who uses his favor in bed even to wield political influence - the stage is set for a palace revolt which sends the gay pair from the throne to a terminal torture dungeon.
Play trailer2:11
1 Video
81 Photos
DramaHistoryRomance
In this Derek Jarman version of Christopher Marlowe's Elizabethan drama, in modern costumes and settings, Plantagenet king Edward II hands the power-craving nobility the perfect excuse by ta... Read allIn this Derek Jarman version of Christopher Marlowe's Elizabethan drama, in modern costumes and settings, Plantagenet king Edward II hands the power-craving nobility the perfect excuse by taking as lover besides his diplomatic wife, the French princess Isabel, not an acceptable l... Read allIn this Derek Jarman version of Christopher Marlowe's Elizabethan drama, in modern costumes and settings, Plantagenet king Edward II hands the power-craving nobility the perfect excuse by taking as lover besides his diplomatic wife, the French princess Isabel, not an acceptable lady at court but the ambitious Piers Gaveston, who uses his favor in bed even to wield pol... Read all
IMDb RATING
6.8/10
2.9K
YOUR RATING
    • Derek Jarman
  • Writers
    • Christopher Marlowe(play)
    • Derek Jarman(screenplay)
    • Stephen McBride(screenplay)
  • Stars
    • Steven Waddington
    • Kevin Collins
    • Andrew Tiernan
    • Derek Jarman
  • Writers
    • Christopher Marlowe(play)
    • Derek Jarman(screenplay)
    • Stephen McBride(screenplay)
  • Stars
    • Steven Waddington
    • Kevin Collins
    • Andrew Tiernan
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 23User reviews
    • 30Critic reviews
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards

    Videos1

    Trailer
    Trailer 2:11
    Watch Trailer

    Photos81

    Jody Graber and Tilda Swinton in Edward II (1991)
    Andrew Tiernan in Edward II (1991)
    Tilda Swinton, Andrew Tiernan, and Steven Waddington in Edward II (1991)
    Tilda Swinton, Andrew Tiernan, and Steven Waddington in Edward II (1991)
    Jody Graber, Tilda Swinton, Andrew Tiernan, and Steven Waddington in Edward II (1991)
    Tilda Swinton, Andrew Tiernan, and Steven Waddington in Edward II (1991)
    Tilda Swinton, Andrew Tiernan, and Steven Waddington in Edward II (1991)
    Tilda Swinton in Edward II (1991)
    Roger Hammond, John Quentin, and Nigel Terry in Edward II (1991)
    Steven Waddington in Edward II (1991)
    Steven Waddington in Edward II (1991)
    Tilda Swinton in Edward II (1991)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Steven Waddington
    Steven Waddington
    • Edward II
    Kevin Collins
    Kevin Collins
    • Lightborn, the Jailor
    Andrew Tiernan
    Andrew Tiernan
    • Piers Gaveston
    John Lynch
    John Lynch
    • Spencer
    Dudley Sutton
    Dudley Sutton
    • Bishop of Winchester
    Tilda Swinton
    Tilda Swinton
    • Isabella
    Jerome Flynn
    Jerome Flynn
    • Kent
    Jody Graber
    • Prince Edward
    Nigel Terry
    Nigel Terry
    • Mortimer
    Jill Balcon
    Jill Balcon
    • Chorus of Nobility
    Barbara New
    • Chorus of Nobility
    Andrea Miller
    • Chorus of Nobility
    Brian Mitchell
    Brian Mitchell
    • Chorus of Nobility
    David Glover
    • Chorus of Nobility
    John Quentin
    • Chorus of Nobility
    Andrew Charleson
    • Chorus of Nobility
    Roger Hammond
    Roger Hammond
    • Bishop
    Allan Corduner
    Allan Corduner
    • Poet
      • Derek Jarman
    • Writers
      • Christopher Marlowe(play)
      • Derek Jarman(screenplay)
      • Stephen McBride(screenplay)
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      About 90 members of OutRage, a British gay political action group, took part in the riot scene.
    • Quotes

      [first lines]

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

    • Connections
      Edited into Screen Two: Edward II (1993)
    • Soundtracks
      Every Time We Say Goodbye
      Written by Cole Porter

      Performed by Annie Lennox

      Courtesy of BMG Ariola

    User reviews23

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    6/10
    a troubled adaptation of a strange Elizabethan play
    I've watched this movie at least half a dozen times while adapting and directing my own stage version of this brilliant, but somewhat long-winded and un-focused Marlowe play. That said (and my bias revealed), I have to admit that I don't care much for this film- though I do admit it has some strengths- namely the visual elements, which reflect the director's background as a painter (he knows how to frame and arrange a shot, and he picks beautiful lines and colors to illustrate his story). Tilda Swenton's performance is amazing (has she ever been bad?) and provides the emotional thrust of the movie- we believe she wants Edward so badly that she's willing to kill him so no one else will have him. Unfortuneately, Gaveston just comes off as a twisted psychotic and Waddington's performance as Edward renders the king weaker than Marlowe writes him, and yet devoid of the inner vulnerability that ultimately makes the King sympathetic- I never once believe they really love each other, let alone madly enough to topple a whole nation. But plot and character don't seem to be a priority of the film as much as statements about gay rights and strange, arty and really heavy-handed intrusions. Too bad, really. There's so much to be dug out of the script- and some of those gems DO appear in this film... but so many seem not only undiscovered, but lost in a lot of camp, confusion, violence and raw, un-erotic sex. Don't get me wrong- the film is worth seeing... I just hope that one day, I get to make a new interpretation.
    helpful•25
    14
    • endymion82
    • Dec 22, 2000

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • October 18, 1991 (United Kingdom)
      • United Kingdom
      • Japan
      • English
      • Italian
    • Also known as
      • London, England, UK
    • Production companies
      • British Screen Productions
      • BBC Films
      • Working Title Films
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

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    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • 1 hour 27 minutes
      • Color

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