Edward II **** (1991, Steven Waddington, Kevin Collins, Tilda Swinton, Nigel Terry, Andrew Tiernan, John Lynch, Dudley Sutton, Annie Lennox) – Classic Movie Review 6497

Director Derek Jarman’s 1991 film version of Christopher Marlowe’s 16th-century Elizabethan play about the outrageous gay English King Edward II is a lively, imaginative and often moving piece of work. It brings the revered antique play and its themes shouting and kicking into the Nineties.

Steven Waddington plays King Edward II.

Steven Waddington stars in his film debut as Plantagenet king Edward II, with Andrew Tiernan as his ambitious lover Piers Gaveston, Kevin Collins as Lightborn the Jailor, John Lynch, Dudley Sutton, Jerome Flynn, Lloyd Newson, Nigel Charnock, Jill Balcon, and Barbara New.

Purists will object to the modern costumes and settings, Annie Lennox’s song appearance for her rendition of Cole Porter’s ‘Ev’ry Time We Say Goodbye’ and the gay sex and politics. But they sit easily and comfortably with the material and add an extra dimension to it. Jarman adds a gay sex scene and shows Edward’s army as gay rights protesters.

It is a dark and uncomfortable, adult, sometimes violent film, and not always easy to watch. But that honours the play too. Tilda Swinton and Nigel Terry give tremendous performances as the villains of the piece Isabella and Mortimer, and easily outclass the other actors with their beautiful verse speaking and electrifying presences.

Jarman’s painterly vision ensures that it looks an austere eyeful on an obviously low budget (£750,000), shot by cinematographer Ian Wilson. It is written by Derek Jarman, Stephen McBride and Ken Butler, produced by Steve Clark-Hall and Antony Root, scored by Simon Fisher Turner, and choreographed by Lloyd Newson.

It is produced by BBC Films and British Screen, and distributed by Working Title. It took $694,438 at the cinema box office, so it might just have turned a little profit.

Ian McKellen played King Edward in a famous 1970 BBC TV production of the Marlowe play.

Kevin Collins, born Keith Collins, long-time partner of Derek Jarman.

RIP Kevin Collins, born Keith Collins, long-time partner of Derek Jarman. He also appears in Jarman’s The Garden and Wittgenstein, and was an additional costume maker for Orlando.

© Derek Winnert 2017 Classic Movie Review 6497

Check out more reviews on http://derekwinnert.com

The Edward II theatrical release poster.