Love is the Devil: Study for a Portrait of Francis Bacon poster & wallpaper
Get movie widget Recommend it Add to Favorites

Derek Jacobi, Daniel Craig, Tilda Swinton, Anne Lambton, Adrian Scarborough ... see more see more... , Karl Johnson , Annabel Brooks , Richard Newbold , Andy Linden

This British biographical drama probes the life of painter Francis Bacon (1909-1992), critically acclaimed as the outstanding British painter of the latter half of the 20th Century. This unsympathetic... read more read more... portrait of Bacon (Derek Jacobi) begins when George Dyer (Daniel Craig), a small-time criminal from working-class East End environs, drops through a skylight to rob Bacon's studio -- and is ordered into bed by Bacon. The two become a familiar couple at Bacon's hangout, the Colony Room in Soho. Bacon's sexual interests lean toward S&M, but as the cruel Bacon loses interest in Dyer and begins to look elsewhere, the couple splits. Left to his own devices, Dyer turns to drugs and alcohol -- and a tragic suicide. Visual grotesqueries and a trancelike Ryuichi Sakamoto music score capture the essence of Bacon's work (although paintings by Bacon are not seen onscreen here). The film is told in the form of a flashback from Bacon's successful 1971 retrospective at the Grand Palais in Paris to a period in the mid-'60s. Bacon biographer Daniel Farson (The Gilded Gutter Life of Francis Bacon) served as consultant on the film. ~ Bhob Stewart, Rovi

Flixster Users

60% liked it

1,902 ratings

Critics

68% liked it

19 critics

Unrated, 1 hr. 31 min.

Directed by: John Maybury

Release Date: October 9, 1998

Invite friends to see

DVD Release Date: April 4, 2000

Stats: 134 reviews

report incorrect info

Photos

None yet... Got one?

Your Rating


clear rating

Flixster Reviews (134)

  • flixsterman
    May 23, 2010
    flixsterman
    "...we all have nightmares. They can't be as horrific as life."

    Deep, dark and unsettling. An artful obliteration of the line between genius and madness.
  • rlculpepper
    July 11, 2011
    rlculpepper
    Exquisite performances but a disjointed movie. Jacobi is uncanny in a performance where he seems to be channeling a heartless Judi Dench. The only flaw in the performance were in the direction of 2 scenes of moments Bacon exhibited ecstasy in observance of violence during a film ... read moreand a boxing match. Jacobi came across as disingenuous and it took me out of the film for a second. Not that I was too deeply absorbed. Craig is a beautiful tortured soul with chasmic depth in his eyes and the inability to vocalize it. I couldn't take my eyes off of him. I did not see an artist in Jacobi's Fancis Bacon but his interpretation none-the-less is too real of a despicable person on the verge of being completely unsympathetic. (I later viewed biopics on Bacon only to find that the man himself betrays his work which I believe to be gimmicks.) Here the director failed to characterize truths behind the ties that bound these people to each other, much less even spending time together. I looked into the men after seeing the movie and now understand more about them, had I known some of it going in, my experience with the film may have been vastly different. As an uninitiated viewer of this movie on its own merits, I was left on the fence. The film is interesting, with some artistry at work. (Some of which I later learned was to evoke imagery used by bacon in his work) Maybe there were too many in-cohesive attempts at artistry which I began to find gimmicky and at odds with the story telling. Tear away the gimmicks and this is a simple telling of accounts that allegedly happened during the relationship of these two men, all of which lacked a binding thread and a character to attach to.
  • sleepykiss
    February 20, 2010
    sleepykiss
    "Take your clothes off, come to bed, & you can have whatever you want..."

    The real world of Bacon seemed to be as disturbing & perverse as his paintings. DJacobi as Sir Francis, DCraig as the lover & TSwinton as an obnoxious tv host.
  • Ghw12158
    September 26, 2009
    Ghw12158
    a good art house movie weird visuals tortured artist story strange music and daniel craig full frontal-priceless!
  • dredzag
    September 22, 2009
    dredzag
    A little long IMHO but certainly worth watching. Derek Jacobi has this great ability of coming off as insanely creepy with just a look. His portrayal of Bacon is spot on from what Ive read of him. To say he's self centered and cruel is an understatemet. Daniel Craig does a wonder... read moreful job of the tough on the outside, soft on the inside boyfriend. Daniel is also very naked for a bit. Total bonus lol.
  • deusdiabolus
    August 25, 2009
    deusdiabolus
    Derek Jacobi rolling around in a bed with Daniel Craig. You either want to see that or you don't. I do.
  • villainforhire
    January 11, 2009
    villainforhire
    as dark & twisted as some of Bacon's works. surprising to see an early and vulnerable performance from Craig. this movie doesn't sugar coat what a bastard Bacon was, and for that it gains points with me. i'd still love to see a more all-encompassing biopic on Bacon.

View All Love is the Devil: Study for a Portrait of Francis Bacon Reviews

Critic Reviews

Anton Bitel
June 15, 2007
Anton Bitel, Film4

a celluloid portrait every bit as grimly disturbing as anything that Bacon himself produced, and far too darkly imaginative to be tarred with the 'biopic' brush. Full Review

Rich Cline
June 12, 2004
Rich Cline, Shadows on the Wall

Powerfully well-acted.

Dennis Schwartz
January 1, 2000
Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews

But whatever I think of Bacon and his art work I was, nevertheless, still dazzled by the breathless performance of Derek Jacobi... Full Review

Arthur Lazere
January 1, 2000
Arthur Lazere, culturevulture.net

a riveting and disquieting portrait of a riveting and disquieting painter Full Review

Peter Henne
January 1, 2000
Peter Henne, Film Journal International

Looking through a color art book on Bacon actually would make an appropriate substitute to watching the film. Full Review

David Rooney
March 26, 2009
David Rooney, Variety

Click to read the article Full Review

July 21, 2005
Houston Chronicle

Click to read the article Full Review

April 12, 2002
Globe and Mail

Click to read the article Full Review

Justine Elias
January 1, 2000
Justine Elias, Village Voice

Click to read the article Full Review

Paul Tatara
January 1, 2000
Paul Tatara, CNN.com

Click to read the article Full Review

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Cast

More Like This

Click a thumb to vote on that suggestion, or add your own suggestions.

  • Hard Target
    Hard Target (33%)

More Movies like Love is the Devil: Study for a Portrait of Francis Bacon

Facts

No facts approved yet. Be the first

Love is the Devil... : Watch Free on TV

Love is the Devil: Study for a Portrait of Francis Bacon Trivia

Movie Quizzes

No quizzes for Love is the Devil: Study for a Portrait of Francis Bacon. Want to create one?

Video Clips

No video clips yet. Want to upload one?

Meet Other Fans

Add Love is the Devil: Study for a Portrait of Francis Bacon to favorites

Recent News

No recent headlines. Got one?

Recent Lists

Make a List |

View All Lists

Most Popular Skin

No skins yet. Interested in creating one?