Marat/ Sade
"Dramatic power! Dazzling to experience!" -Time
Directed by Peter Brook and based on the Tony® Award-winning play by Peter Weiss, this spellbinding tale of "slashing power and disturbance" (The Film Daily) bristles with the riveting energy and "excellent" (Variety) performances by the Royal Shakespeare Theatre Company, including Ian Richardson and Patrick Magee. Brimming with raving lunatics, cracking whips, catatonic seizures - and even musical interludes - Marat/Sade is an "exciting, overwhelming (and) stunning tour de force" (Boxoffice)!
When notorious social critic - and inmate of Charenton's asylum for the insane - the Marquis de Sade (Magee) stages a play about the murder of the French Revolution's Jean-Paul Marat, the production takes on an alarming life of its own. And as tempers flare, arguments rage and chaos engulfs both the sane and the mad, the inmates finally turn against their keepers - in a brilliant, breathtaking and completely bizarre conclusion... that will leave you raving for more!
Member Reviews
Stunning period piece - anglophonequebec
I saw this film in maybe 1967 while it was still in theaters. Over the intervening decades, I had forgotten some of the insanity and chaos, but the songs stuck to me. As the inmates of the asylum turn into chorus, they came right back. What period is this film about? the 1960s of course. The social commentary about revolutions was very much at the fore, and in this world with Tunisia following the track to Finland Station of prior revolutions, it remains topical. Brook's production does translate to film, at least enough of us to get the point.Amazing and essential - rnhaas
I think this has to be considered one of the great works of art of the past century. It might be the best 20th century play I've seen. Though some (including myself) sometimes nitpick about filmed plays being to stagey, in this case it is important that this play be on film, because more people will see it. In any case, they do make use of close-ups and alternate angles that aren't available in the theatre. It's funny, it's clever, and it's dead on in its assessment of revolutions.
Member Reviews
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Stunning period piece - anglophonequebec
I saw this film in maybe 1967 while it was still in theaters. Over the intervening decades, I had forgotten some of the insanity and chaos, but the songs stuck to me. As the inmates of the asylum turn into chorus, they came right back. What period is this ...Amazing and essential - rnhaas
I think this has to be considered one of the great works of art of the past century. It might be the best 20th century play I've seen. Though some (including myself) sometimes nitpick about filmed plays being to stagey, in this case it is important that ...