Quills (2000)

User Rating:

7.3/10   

Director:

Philip Kaufman

Writers (WGA):

Doug Wright (play)
Doug Wright (screenplay)

Release Date:

15 December 2000 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | History | Romance

Tagline:

There are no bad words... only bad deeds.

Plot:

In a Napoleonic era insane asylum, an inmate, the irrepressible Marquis De Sade, fights a battle of wills against a tyrannically prudish doctor.

Plot Keywords:

Marquis De Sade | Asylum | Writer | Insane Asylum | Punishment

Awards:

Nominated for 3 Oscars. Another 14 wins & 33 nominations

Cast

Geoffrey Rush	...	The Marquis de Sade
Kate Winslet	...	Madeleine 'Maddy' LeClerc
Joaquin Phoenix	...	The Abbe du Coulmier
Michael Caine	...	Dr. Royer-Collard
Billie Whitelaw	...	Madame LeClerc
Patrick Malahide	...	Delbené
Amelia Warner	...	Simone
Jane Menelaus	...	Renee Pelagie
Stephen Moyer	...	Prouix, the Architect
Tony Pritchard	...	Valcour
Michael Jenn	...	Cleante
Danny Babington	...	Pitou
George Yiasoumi	...	Dauphin
Stephen Marcus	...	Bouchon
Elizabeth Berrington	...	Charlotte

Also Known As:

Quills - Macht der Besessenheit (Germany)

MPAA:

Rated R for strong sexual content including dialogue, violence and language.

Runtime:

124 min

Country:

USA | Germany | UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Brazil:16 | Malaysia:18PL (re-rating) | Iceland:16 | Singapore:R(A) (cut) | Portugal:M/16 | Argentina:16 | Australia:MA | Canada:18A | Chile:18 | Denmark:15 | Finland:K-15 | France:-12 | Germany:16 (w) | Hong Kong:III | Japan:R-15 | Netherlands:16 | New Zealand:R16 | Norway:15 | Peru:18 | South Korea:18 | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | Switzerland:16 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:16 (canton of Vaud) | UK:18 | USA:R (certificate #37355) | Canada:R (Ontario)

Filming Locations:

London, England, UK

Company:

Fox Searchlight Pictures

Trivia:

Geoffrey Rush's real-life wife, Jane Menelaus, plays de Sade's wife.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: When Simone is buying her copy of "Justine", the date visible on the cover is MDCCCCVII: 1907.

Quotes:

Renee Pelagie: Can I impart to you his cruellest trick.
Dr. Royer-Collard: Of course.
Renee Pelagie: Once, long ago in the folly of youth, he made me love him.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Quills: Creating Charenton (2001) (V)

Soundtrack:

Au clair de la lune

Philip Kaufmann has produced yet another amazing piece of work

Quills is one of the best films of 2000, in my reckoning, second best only to You Can Count on Me. It is one of the most brilliantly directed, acted, produced, and written films I've seen in a very long time. There is not a (major) character in this film that is not very complex, and the issues at stake are utterly important.

Perhaps the greatest success of the film is how well it works on commenting both on its own time and situations and our own world today. The issues of free speech, creativity, dementia, corporal punishment, religion, sexuality and especially politics are woven into the film in amazing ways. Yes, politics, for it works as an allegory to the recent presidential scandals.

There are two flaws, one major, one semi-major. The semi-major one involves the epilogue. It is not bad, but it is unnecessary. Perhaps the best way to describe it is superfluous and predictable. The major flaw would destroy any lesser film. Here, it is hardly noticable. Still, if one contemplates it, there is no getting around it. There is never a believable reason why Madeleine should be so helpful to the Marquis de Sade. They present a tiny one, but it is not good enough.

Still, with its successes elsewhere, these flaws do not weaken this film. Without them, it would have been perfect. With them, well, just because it is flawed, doesn't mean it isn't a masterpiece. 10/10