Edward II
Second Sight
R2 DVD
Derek
Jarman began his career as the set designer on Ken
Russell’s The Devils and from there on in took to creating unique works of
cinema which embody a
idiosyncratic visual sense and a distinctly queer sensibility. Jarman takes what seem like antiquated subjects and injects
them with a contemporary vision which is both refreshing and breathtaking. In Sebastiane
(1975), he took the life of martyred fourth century Roman soldier, who was
later both canonized as Saint Sebastian and turned it into an ode to gay love, making
the first film using ecclesiastical Latin ! In
Wittgenstein (1993) he offered vignettes of the life of the greatly respected
but troubled gay philosopher. In Edward II he takes Christopher Marlowes rather dated Elizabethan drama about the downfall
of the weak gay monarch Edward II.
In
Jarman’s hands this takes on a new and powerful
relevance, while he respects the historicity of Marlowe’s text to a surprising
degree he subverts it to offer a powerful message about the suppression of
sexual minorities. At the same time Jarman does not
rewrite history, Edward II and his lover, while clearly victims of homophobia,
are not depicted as gay saints. Edward seems to spend his days in constant
self-indulgence rather than attending to the needs of his kingdom and hence
regardless of his sexuality is not especially likeable. He mistreated his wife,
degrades his role and refuses to attend to his duties.
The
way in which Jarman depicts events in the film is
novel and innovative. Imagery flickers between traditional period costume and a
contemporary look. At times the conspirators are in period costume, at other
times in modern business suits. Clashes over homophobia range from the
historical to modern including quite potent scenes where AIDS protesters clash
against English police. This is especially significant considering the
narrowness of the English government of the period and the fact that Jarman was living with the virus himself.
With
superb performances by Tilda Swinton,
a superb musical number by Annie Lennox and solid character development all
round, this is a surprisingly and revelatory adaptation of a classic work made
relevant to the modern age.
The
remastered edition from Second Sight is a joy to behold and includes Derek’s
Edward, a documentary featuring interviews with a range of individuals involved
in the film and with gay rights campaigner Peter Tatchell.
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