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From Amazon.co.uk
With bedroom eyes and the mischievous smirk of an insatiable roué, Geoffrey Rush is a perfect choice to play the Marquis de Sade in Quills, adapted by Doug Wright from his own stage play and directed by Philip Kaufman. Imprisoned in France's Charenton asylum at the turn of the 18th century, de Sade is a stately court jester in dishevelled finery, and Rush imbues the role with the fierce urgency of a writer whose sexual fantasies are his sole remaining defence against repression and hypocrisy. Deprived of quill and ink, he writes with wine, then blood, then his own faeces--a descent into madness or an impassioned refusal to be silenced? Quills embraces freedom of expression ("such beauty, such abomination", as one character notes) while affirming that all freedoms have a price.
De Sade smuggles manuscripts out of Charenton with help from Madeleine (Kate Winslet), a virginal laundress who relishes de Sade's scandalous prose--a divine irony since she was taught to read by asylum abbé Coulmier (Joaquin Phoenix), whose desire for Madeleine is suppressed by Catholic propriety. The delicate dynamic of this trio is shattered by the arrival of Royer-Collard (Michael Caine, appearing somewhat comatose), a righteous hypocrite appointed to silence de Sade once and for all. It's all very engrossing as a piece of theatre (which it still is, despite Kaufman's elegant filming), and although Wright's literate dialogue limits de Sade to zesty ripostes and sneering perversity, Rush's intensity ensures that the marquis's plight is no laughing matter. Quills has a point, makes it without condescension and knows the difference between madness and passion . --Jeff Shannon, Amazon.com
Product Description
DVD Special Features:
Audio commentary by screenwriter Doug Wright
2 featurettes: "Marquis on the Marquee", "Creating Charenton", "Dressing the Part"
TV spot
Theatrical trailer
Stills gallery
Fact and film -- text pages
1.85:1 (widescreen 16:9)
2.0 stereo
Subtitles: Czech, Danish, Finish, Hebrew, Hungarian, Icelandic, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Swedish
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
12 of 13 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
"Quills" tells of the last days of the infamous Marquis de Sade (Geoffrey Rush), who wrote erotic stories that shocked and delighted readers in 18th century France. He is living a rather privileged life as an inmate in an asylum run by a sympathetic cleric (Joaquin Phoenix), where he produces his plays for the nobility. Sade is allowed to write, but not to publish; however, a young laundry maid (Kate Winslet) admires him and smuggles his work out of the asylum. The Emperor, Napoleon, dislikes his books and orders that Sade be stopped once and for all. Sade's paper, ink, and quills are confiscated, and the cruel Dr. Royer-Collard (Michael Caine) is sent to oversee the asylum.
The dialogue is literate and elegant and the acting is first-rate. Rush is dazzlingly flamboyant, Winslet is winsome and sweet, Phoenix is noble and earnest, and Caine is despicably cruel. The story and the brutal way it is presented, however, were repellant to me, and I found it difficult to watch. If cruelty offends you, you probably won't like "Quills."
Kona
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
This is a grim (very fictional) piece dwelling on the lowest common denominators of life enlightened by some excellent acting. In the service of a good story the Marquis de Sade is transformed from the eponymous sadist into the Hugh Hefner of the Napoleonic era; a mixture of Dexter and a Donald McGill postcard. Played by Geoffrey Rush the Marquis has all the best lines though Joaquin Phoenix mounts (as the Marquis might say) a gallant rearguard action. Michael Caine is marvellously horrible, in an entirely reasonable fashion, as the nasty doctor and Kate Winslet will lead many a young man astray. There is even room for Vampire Bill Compton. The oscillation from a Georges Feydeau farce to a Hannibal Lector sequel is perhaps the oddest feature of the film; although, as, once again, the Marquis might say, it is just a play.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
By BPR
Format:DVD
Many people give Shakespeare in Love credit as Geoffrey Rush's best role but I have wondered on occasion if these people had seen the magnificent Quills in which he plays the Marquis de Sade in an insane asylum extremely well. He is surrounded by a great supporting cast including Michael Caine, Kate Winslet and Joaquin Phoenix all putting in brilliant performances. The screenplay by Doug Wright is very well written and packs a punch when required, managing to give all the characters the right amount of development throughout. The most interesting aspect for me was the 'friendship' between the Marquis de Sade and Abbe (Joaquim Phoenix), especially as they are different in the extremes in the fact that Abbe has chosen a life of chastity and the Marquis de Sade writes explicit manuscripts and implores people to open up to their sexual thoughts. The ending was excellent also. If you're a fan of well-written, well-acted period films, Quills is highly recommended. 4.5/5
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4.2 out of 5 stars
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Superior!
s i m p l y d o e s n ' t g e t a n y b e t t e r !
Published 3 months ago by Christian Edlmayer
5.0 out of 5 stars
RUSH
I found Geoffrey Rush's performance astonishing in this film about the Marquis de Sade. Extraordinary story telling made celluloid. Glad I bought it.
Published 4 months ago by ms r dicker
5.0 out of 5 stars
First Class Entertainment
This film is an absolute delight and deals with a whole range of themes; mental illness, sex, religion, literature, politics, violence and censorship in a marvellously entertaining... Read more
Published 13 months ago by J. Turley
1.0 out of 5 stars
Oh dear - major idea fail
Fantastic cast, extraordinary write-ups: I expected a lot. What I got was a repetitive and largely unknitted script, a reduction of the Marquis de Sade from a psychopath who... Read more
Published 15 months ago by Lulubeth
5.0 out of 5 stars
well it's got Geoffrey Rush in it
I enjoy historical epics and romps like Elizabeth and Tom Jones - I like them to be gritty and stuffed full of good dialogue. Read more
Published 16 months ago by sean cutter
3.0 out of 5 stars
Acting masterclass
Good film, stunning cast. Quills is a fictional account of the final months in the life of the Marquis de Sade. Read more
Published 23 months ago by Will
5.0 out of 5 stars
vice and virtue rendered vicious in relativity of time
Whatever the faults of this very courageous and wortwhile cinematic attempt featuring the life of a somewhat controversial man who was accused of almost everything from perversion... Read more
Published on 5 Feb 2009 by doctor oz MB,MRCP
5.0 out of 5 stars
And the Oscar should have gone to ... this movie & Mr. Rush!
Pornographers make unlikely poster boys for the freedom of expression. This is true in the age of Larry Flint as much as it was true 200 years ago, at the times of the grandfather... Read more
Published on 4 Mar 2004 by Themis-Athena
5.0 out of 5 stars
And the Oscar should have gone to ... this movie & Mr. Rush!
Pornographers make unlikely poster boys for the freedom of expression. This is true in the age of Larry Flint as much as it was true 200 years ago, at the times of the grandfather... Read more
Published on 11 Feb 2003 by Themis-Athena
5.0 out of 5 stars
Wonderful piece of Cinema!
This is a surprisingly engrossing and entertaining film, which left me feeling like I had seen one of Hollywood's better efforts!
The story is pretty simple really! Read more
Published on 20 Jan 2003 by H. Trivass
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