Edward II
Director: Derek Jarman
Year Released: 1991
Rating: 1.5
Free adaptation by Jarman of Christopher Marlowe's play about the title king and his refusal to give up his male lover for a proper bride (played with venomous zeal by Tilda Swinton). I'm not exactly sure who's to blame for the one-dimensional story and characters (having never read the Marlowe piece), although perhaps it's just Jarman, who interprets it as a simple homosexuals-versus-their-oppressors tale. He does add some great postmodern touches to keep things off-kilter, like modern wardrobes and inventive sets - he even has Swinton operating a crossbow at one point!
