Edward II
Directed by Derek Jarman
Starring Steven Waddington, Andrew Tiernan, Tilda Swinton, Nigel Terry
M15+, Kino, Melbourne, late June
Reviewed by Mario Giorgetti
While Hollywood is accused, with some justification, of homophobia and negative stereotyping, British film-maker Derek Jarman shows how to avoid the stereotype. He explores seriously, in a historical framework, the ever current themes of power and corruption, and the potentially alienating nature of homosexual love.
Edward II is an adaptation of Christopher Marlowe's play of the same name. A contemporary of Shakespeare, Marlowe was an intriguer and atheist who at 29 met his death in a pub fight. Like Shakespeare, he successfully adapted historical events to the purposes of drama. History aside, Jarman's film version tells an extraordinary tale of obsession, ambition and bloody revenge.
We find the deposed King Edward in the dungeons of Berkeley Castle, recalling the events that led to his imprisonment. Having antagonised his barons by granting the Earldom of Cornwall to his favourite, Piers Gaveston, Edward then overplays his hand by showing preference for his gay lover over Isabella, his queen.
This puts Edward in fatal conflict with both church and nobility. Eventually, driven by jealousy and wounded pride, the rejected Isabella joins forces with Mortimer, leader of the rebellious barons, to cleanse the monarchy of the "abominable vice".
While a good film's style should reflect its substance, in Edward II a solid style is somewhat let down, not so much by lack of substance as by the absence of an emotional anchor. Despite a strong plot and scenes snap-taut with dramatic intensity, no character in this stylish and stylised production arouses genuine emotion. Edward's love for Gaveston is neither sensual nor spiritual, but rather egotistical and obsessive. And few could feel genuine sympathy for the king himself, who is portrayed as a besotted misfit and the architect of his own downfall.
Edward and Gaveston in their role of misunderstood and persecuted victims, do not emerge completely vindicated, because their cause (if one could call it that) is a wholly selfish one and lacking universal resonance. The real focus of the story remains the wider theme of power's corrupting influence, while the only truly strong role is that of Mortimer (Nigel Terry), the influential nobleman whose opposition to Edward sparks a lethal conflict. Mortimer is not beset by doubts (initially, at least) or slave to his emotions, but resolutely Machiavellian in his quest for power.
Jarman, whose previous films include The Garden, Caravaggio, and Last of England, does not luxuriate in flashy costumes and elaborate sets. He has taken a 16th century text and given it an alienating, almost Brechtian feel, setting the action in a maze of stone blocks and austere rooms, and clothing the actors in modern dress. The rebellious noblemen become the bishops, generals and bowler-hatted businessmen of today's British establishment. The king and his lover wear two-piece suits. The power-hungry Mortimer, of rmy greens. Only Isabella, French by birth and temperament, is occasionally allowed some opulent costuming.
There are good performances by newcomers Steven Waddington (as Edward) and Andrew Tiernan (as Gaveston), and Nigel Terry gives a solid performance as Mortimer. The eminently photogenic Tilda Swinton as Queen Isabella, however, steals the show with a strong screen presence and cool good looks.
Although one can't help wondering if this adaptation would not have worked as well or better on the stage, it works very well in this film, which is quietly satisfying and easy to watch. It does not betray expectations and is complete and balanced in structure, with uncluttered sets, stagy compositions and a strong plot.
In its treatment of homosexuality, this story about the past attempts to make direct connections with the present. It also, to a certain extent, reclaims history, which tends to overlook the existence and role of homosexuality in high places. But essentially Edward II is about love versus responsibility, gay desire versus public morality, and the perils of hurling defiance at a single-minded political establishment.