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Noam Almaz, Dawn Archibald, Sean Bean, Jack Birkett, Sadie Corre ... see more see more... , Dexter Fletcher , Garry Cooper , Michael Gough , Nigel Davenport , Nigel Terry , Robbie Coltrane , Spencer Leigh , Tilda Swinton , Cindy Oswin , Jonathan Hyde

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70% liked it

2,654 ratings

Critics

78% liked it

9 critics

R, 1 hr. 33 min.

Directed by: Derek Jarman

Release Date: August 29, 1986

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DVD Release Date: June 24, 2008

Stats: 138 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (138)

  • matertenebraum
    February 10, 2011
    matertenebraum
    Quite simply unlike any other biographical film you will ever see, Derek Jarman's acclaimed production of Caravaggio (1986) is a lovingly constructed, highly personal cross-reference of tormented sixteenth century genius, twentieth century iconography and a somewhat satire on the... read more shallowness of the burgeoning eighties' art scene of which Jarman was very much part of. Exploring Caravaggio's life through his work, the film distinctively merges fact, fiction, legend and imagination in a bold and confident approach that will probably leave serious art enthusiasts and casual viewers outraged by the complete disregard for accurate, historical storytelling.

    Shot with a typically avant-garde approach, director/writer Jarman doesn't so much fashion a biography of the artist, but rather, creates a personal reflection of the man using intimate characteristics that appeal to his film-making sensibilities. This makes Caravaggio more of an interpretation of the filmmaker than the artist himself; somewhat self-indulgently focusing on Caravaggio's struggle with bisexuality, perfectionism and wanton obsession; perhaps even glossing over the more intricate workings of the character, for instance, his own passion for art and his battles with the various religious and creative constraints of the period.

    It's a shame some of these ideas aren't further elaborated upon, because, at its heart, Caravaggio is really an exceptional film. As I commented earlier, it's perhaps unlike any other film you will ever see; an iconoclastic vision with a cinematic imagination that knows no bounds. Caravaggio is a film in which a 16th century setting gives way to the various anachronisms of passing trains, tuxedos, motorbikes, typewriters and chic nightclub settings. It is a film in which every frame is rendered in reference to the artist's work, composed with rich, shadowy colours that bring to mind the contrast between fresh and rotting fruit, and an unrivalled interplay between sound and production design that is reminiscent in its intense savagery of two dogs angrily ripping each other to pieces.

    There is no other 'based on fact film' that has demonstrated such a wild and evocative recreation of real-life hysteria and events, with the possible exception of Peter Jackson's masterful Heavenly Creatures (1994) or even some of Jarman's subsequent projects like Edward II (1991) and Wittgenstein (1994). With a cast of now very well known faces, such as Nigel Terry, Sean Bean, Tilda Swinton, Michael Gough, Dexter Fletcher and Robbie Coltrane - not to mention some of the most beautiful photography ever committed to film - Caravaggio represents an impressive and enjoyable combination of art and cinema that is now, twenty years on, ripe for rediscovery.
  • shannylee38
    March 15, 2007
    shannylee38
    Not a film that i would recommend, although, if you appreciate paintings or Caravaggio, maybe it is something to look for.
  • williamdparker
    December 24, 2010
    williamdparker
    Plot? Characterization? I was lost not knowing the details of Caravaggio's life. There were lots of implications but few explications. The only redeeming aspect was the beautiful reenactments of Caravaggio's paintings.
  • jadetwiler78
    June 26, 2010
    jadetwiler78
    The dichotomies in the metaphors throughout the film were nauseating. The narrator, who we eventually learn is Caravaggio on his deathbed, refers to paintbrushes as a "companion in my loneliness." He refers to a painting as a "successful fucking disaster" and there are several ot... read morehers that I can only assume are meant to be ironic but they simply leave the viewer asking for superior writing. I hope that none of you have to suffer through watching this horrendous excuse for a film. Things that would be less horrific than watching Caravaggio include:
    1. Watching Andy Warhol's "Hamburger" (as it's much shorter)
    2. Having gum surgery (assuming you're knocked out and receive pain killers after the procedure)
    3. Putting a blunt, dirty scalpel into both eyes (as it will prevent you from ever having to view "Caravaggio").
  • MovieGuruDude72
    October 14, 2009
    MovieGuruDude72
    Being a straight man, this was WAY too homoerotic to watch for me. Never thought I'd ever watch Boromir from Lord of the Rings get all lovey-dovey with his male friends. Creepy wacked out movie.
  • elziard
    November 25, 2007
    elziard
    At one point a calculator makes an appearance in an Italian Cardinal's hand in the 17th Century. then a motorcycle, a typewriter and a truck?
    what was i smoking?
    it's Felliniesque in is decadence and hedonism. sits in high company with Gilliam's Brazil, Cronenberg's Dead Ringers,... read more and Greenaway's The Cook, the Thief, His Wife and Her Lover as the epitome of '80s cinematic style. like those films, it suffers in it's style over substance; heavy in it's analogy and light in character development.

    avant-garde biopic of the artist is stunningly filmed. the paintings come to life in stunning interpretations of the original works.

    amazing cast in early roles (Tilda Swinton, Sean Bean and Robbie Coltrane).
  • jazzmonk
    October 26, 2007
    jazzmonk
    I didn't like this one. Never got off the ground for me. Caravaggio was one of the most dramatic painters ever. He deserved a better movie.

View All Caravaggio Reviews

Critic Reviews

Paul Attanasio
January 1, 2000
Paul Attanasio, Washington Post

I may be a dull fellow, but from the very beginning of Caravaggio, I hadn't the slightest idea as to what Jarman was up to. Full Review

Andrew L. Urban
August 9, 2008
Andrew L. Urban, Urban Cinefile

Famed for its fabulously evocative recreation of the light/shade luminosity of Caravaggio's oil paintings, Caravaggio is nevertheless something of a victim of its times....But despite that, it is a wo... Full Review

Nick Davis
September 16, 2005
Nick Davis, Nick's Flick Picks

Remarkably true to Caravaggio's visual aesthetic while expanding Jarman's own repertoire of tones and ideas.

Ken Hanke
May 12, 2003
Ken Hanke, Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)

Calling Derek Jarman's Caravaggio the director's most-accessible film is deceptive, even while being true. Full Review

August 9, 2002
TV Guide's Movie Guide

Marrying a painterly aesthetic with a defiantly homosexual sensibility, this ironic biopic is probably the most accessible film of avant-garde British director Derek Jarman. Full Review

Dennis Schwartz
February 13, 2001
Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews

It is very sensually done, emphasizing the artist's gargantuan appetites for bisexual and, especially, homosexual affairs with his models. Full Review

March 26, 2009
Variety

Click to read the article Full Review

Walter Goodman
May 21, 2003
Walter Goodman, New York Times

Click to read the article Full Review

Pat Graham
January 1, 2000
Pat Graham, Chicago Reader

Click to read the article Full Review

Beth Accomando
January 17, 2008
Beth Accomando, KPBS.org

No review available.

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

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