2. Quills (2000)
Ostensibly a film about the Marquis de Sade's last years in incarceration, the makers have stated that it is not meant to be an exact detailing of his life but more a reimagining. Besides tackling the life of de Sade himself, the film uncovers through the scandalous noble man and the characters around him some statements pertaining to Art, censorship, pornography, religion and censorship. De Sade is confined to an asylum but it is overseen by a benevolent monk - the Abbe - who believes the inmates should express themselves through creativity. The Marquis smuggles his works out of the asylum via a sympathetic Laundress called Maddy. His latest work Justine is published on the black market and Napoleon isn't very happy about it. He sends in Dr Royer-Collard to sort him out. This starts a long feud between Royer-Collard and de Sade. Royer-Collard marries an underage girl who runs off with a handsome architect. De Sade writes a play about the marriage that was performed in public and for his sins, he gets his ink and quills confiscated. Totally subversive, he writes in blood all over the sheets and walls. When Royer-Collard's young wife runs away and leaves a copy of Justine behind her, he is intent on revenge. A patient breaks out of his cell and sets the asylum alight, Maddy dies in the fire. The Abbe directly blames the Marquis and cuts out his tongue for daring to say he had defiled Maddy (she was proven to be a virgin). The Marquis's health goes into a decline but he still shows subversion - writing in faeces on his oubliette. He is offered the Last Rites and takes the crucifix and swallows it - effectively suicide through choking. The film does not particularly dwell on the prurient aspects of the Marquis de Sade's life, it is more of a testament to his large output and insatiable desire to write things down despite his surroundings. It is totally historically inaccurate according to de Sade's biographer but it seems fitting to make a film about de Sade, no matter if it is fictitious due to the huge output of pornography we have at our disposal. De Sade is almost like the internet porn industry - prolific and cannot be stopped. He attained a creative expression that was true to his beliefs in the face of moral corruption at the top of the hierarchy in the Asylum. Central to the film is the idea of the freedom of speech and the terrible things that happen when it is interfered with. Boasting strong central performances and inspired direction, Quills is a saucy yet cerebral film to get your head around.