TheLittleSongbird
The Libertine is definitely not for the faint-hearted or those who are easily offended. For those who love great production values, storytelling and acting, The Libertine will be a treat. It may not be a personal favourite as of yet but I for one found it an exceptionally good film and think it doesn't get enough recognition.It is a very meticulous-looking film, the photography is wonderfully moody yet sumptuous, the film has a very telling atmosphere and it really feels like you're transported back into the 17th century looking at the costumes and sets. Michael Nyman's score is understated and haunting, fitting beautifully with the atmosphere, though to me it could have used more music from the period which would have given off even more authenticity. The script is funny, thoughtful and packs emotional punch while the story while occasionally dragging is told rivetingly with scenes like the chair scene between Wilmot and Elizabeth, Wilmot's address to parliament and the final scene really lifted by the quality and the acting. Laurence Dunmore directs most admirably, remarkably good for a debut, inexperience occasionally shows but a vast majority of the time it's incredibly well done.Characters are compelling, especially Wilmot who is very multi-layered, but if there was one thing that was truly exceptional about The Libertine it was the acting. Johnny Depp gives a powerhouse and multi-layered performance that ranks among his best. The dependable Samantha Morton marvels too, John Malkovich does stately and ambiguous in a suitably restrained and regal way while still maintaining interest and Rosamund Pike gives the most heartfelt performance I've ever seen her give(coming from someone who has liked a lot of what she's done), particularly a revelation in the chair scene. The chemistry throughout convinces though that between Depp and Pike came over personally as stronger than that between him and Morton.All in all, a fine film if not for everybody and really deserves much more praise than it gets. 9/10 Bethany Cox
Nietzdrich Frietzsche
The uneven candle flame, twitching, lights thin, aristocratic face with arrogant smile and scornful provoking glance. This is John Wilmot, 2nd Earl of Rochester. A young man, in own way beautiful with some special Bohemian beauty. He frankly warms, that we'll not like him. Without hypocritical shyness, glutting his own truthfulness, he, with some relish, tells us about infinite liberality, intriguing women and setting men's teeth on edge. He made himself comfortable at court, no less comfortably and successfully married, and even more comfortably allowed for free expression of his desires, lusts and passions.The violent rebel, charming villain, free-thinker, unrestrained debauchee, rake, promiscuous bisexual, unprincipled cynic, John Wilmot, hourly bids defiance to public opinion, Londoners, King, God, life and death. His dirty-subtle lore shocks the feigned-decent ears, his drain-less binges and provocative tricks make his benefactor King Charles II lose his patience. J.Wilmot – is a lucky: young and pretty wife, patronage at the court of, friends-supporters, all the opportunities for creative realization, exceptional talent of playwright, public position and…total freedom of expression, which he successfully operates. By his own words, very few people will come near him in tenacity to debauchery. Of course, because all that surrounds him, - is sheer affectation, only illusion of gentle-hood. For what's in his mind is far more interesting than what's outside his mind. He's enticed by absolutely another England: dark, dirty, shameful cloaca, rotting and engulfing. And he, threw himself headlong into this cloaca, conniving at all his limitless and pathologic fantasies. Soon or later, this excessive disgraceful behavior begins to annoy others: the wife psych out, King rages, society excitedly cackles. Ah, how come: shameless Rochester dared publicly to live like majority just dream about, packing up themselves in cocoon of the fear of God and meekness. What makes this libertine – the desire to oppose himself to morally-good society? He needs to go to extremes, to overstep the marks, otherwise he ceases to breath and thus live… He could not dance a half measure, could he? He doesn't even see right to hold back his love in mediocre actress with no outstanding appearance. Day after day he patiently sculpts her talent and, as a result gives a high dazzling polish her modest talent. Eulogistic play for the King? And here Johnny has his special creative vision: his sarcastic freestyle performance is a pornographic representation of a royal court – a kind of monument to reign of King Charles II.The attitude of John Wilmot - is not to flounder for show in debauchery and habitual drunkenness, but do what is beyond his abilities. He is absolutely sincere in his impulses. And so careless and reckless. All his life – incline, which it is impossible to balance on. Showing principled promiscuity and carelessness, Johnny falls from the incline, and in shattering flight he has time to catch the lost values and rejected orientations. Clinging on leaving seconds of life, agonizing, he took God and, gathered his last strength, went to meet dying impulse - to do anything right, namely: to protect the Royal privileges. The lame, nose-less, half-blind John Wilmot, maneuvering by the crutches, but with congenital feline grace, in graceful manner of plastic, makes a dramatic entrance into Parliament and makes, saying the last of his life in a brilliant speech. He is perfect as never before in this moment, ugly-beautiful in his the most miserable and degenerate human form. Do we like him now? Do we?Johnny leaves, shuffling from the world. «The withered flower» crumbled into dust. Beautiful, unbridled and dizzy life- bacchanalia always finishes quickly and ingloriously. So ended the life and theater of John Wilmot. The curtain.The Earl of Rochester – is role for Johnny Depp. «The Libertine» - drama film for Johnny Depp. And in my opinion, it's the most prominent, brightest role of actor. It is impossible to imagine someone else in the image of this contradictory historical figure: the natural charisma combined with Gothic mystery of J.Depp provides him a plausible similarity with his character. Johnny Depp - as the reincarnation of raffish Earl.The film's atmosphere completely parallels to immoral inside of medieval London: the video is defiantly dirty, hopeless dark, oppressive, blowzy and obscene. This is it's organically-vulgar style of. «The Libertine» - it's none the ode to Sodom, as it can seem at first sight. It is a true story about man, high-handed in his furious quest to overstep the marks, neglecting as decency, morality, respectability and the basic safety precautions. This story tells, that greedy and back-alley intake of various pleasures and dubious pleasures soon or later will wear the body and depersonalize the soul. The rule is simple: any moral flaw is projected in a physiological disease. That is to say, the deep drinker is «awarded» a cirrhosis, evil genius – madness, and libertine - devastating venereal disease. Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's.Of course, this movie is not for everyone. Some people, drawn by involuntary hypnosis, couldn't take their eyes off the screen since the very first frame. Others, spitting with disgust, «knowingly» calls names of «bawdry», «bad taste», «guck». While this film promotes to check yourself, our liking, our intellect, our aesthetic perception. The exquisite sarcasm of dialogs and fascinating acting largely contributed to this.
