4. Marat/Sade (1966)
Or to give it its formal title The Persecution and Assassination of Jean-Paul Marat As Performed by the Inmates of the Asylum of Charenton under the direction of the Marquis de Sade. The film is a play within a play. The main action takes place in 1808 after the French Revolution. The play that the Marquis de Sade directs within the story takes place in 1793 at the height of the French Revolution culminating in the assassination of Jean-Paul Marat. The action then flips back to 1808. The inmates of he asylum are the actors of the play and if they get out of order, a heavy will shut them up. The play is overseen by the Director of the hospital - Coulmier, a bourgeoisie man who accepts the post revolutionary government. He believes that the play will support his views but he does not count upon the inmates adding their own lines, suppressed lines and observations which are subversive. It is historical truth that de Sade directed plays in Charenton under the auspices of Coulmier. De Sade is a major player in the play, conducting philosophical dialogues with Marat but mainly he is the voice of Nihilism and remains detached from the other inmates. An amazing performance by the cast is the secret of success behind Marat/Sade. The players include Patrick Magee and Glenda Jackson. It is a big education on the politics and history of the French Revolution. The film has a bizarre, eerie air which is probably due to the effect of setting the play within an asylum. Fiercely intelligent, this is one film that didn't deal with the prurient aspects of the Marquis de Sade's life. Instead, he is seen here as a facilitator for the freedom of speech and artistic expression.