Introduced by QP-curator Renske Diks
Caravaggio
He was an artist, set designer, writer, costume designer and gardener. But Derek Jarman (1942-1994) became best known as a filmmaker and gay rights activist. His unique oeuvre contains many beautiful films, often shot in an experimental style, in which the theme of homosexuality plays an important role. Such is the case in Caravaggio, a historical, fictionalised drama about the Italian Baroque painter who became famous for his use of light and naturalistic representations. It is in this film that Tilda Swinton made her debut as a film actress.
Caravaggio is dying; lead poisoning will prove fatal to him. He looks back on his life - how, as a street urchin, he scammed but also painted, how Cardinal Del Monte noticed his talent and took him under his wing, though not without ulterior motives. Once grown up, he becomes embroiled in a love triangle with street fighter Ranuccio and his girlfriend Lena (Swinton). One day, she announces that she is pregnant, but does not tell him by whom.
