The Libertine (2004)

Excellent but underrated film

Don't listen to the negative reviews

The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

In 1660, Charles II (John Malkovich) is restored to the English throne after years of repressive Puritan rule. By 1675, Charles is facing a difficult hangover and a broke country. He recalls his friend John Wilmot (Johnny Depp), second Earl of Rochester, three months into his year long banishment to take up his family seat in the House of Lords. John returns to London with his wife Elizabeth (Rosamund Pike) and is taken with failing actress Lizzy Barry (Samantha Morton).It's a period piece done in a hand-held, dark and dreary style. The colors are yellowy and greenish. The great actors are compelling until I got bored with the meandering story. Johnny Depp floats as he physically deteriorates later. It has a dreamlike quality but not necessarily an exciting dream.

Although its dour tone might put off a lot of viewers, Johnny Depp gives an awards-worthy performance as the 2nd Earl of Rochester, John Wilmot, one of the most controversial figures in British history. The film is based on a stage play by Stephen Jeffreys and focuses on the last years of Wilmot's life as he goes from being one of Britain's most celebrated poets and playwrights to practically drinking himself to death, all while being one of the most unsavory and unlikeable people I've ever seen portrayed on screen.I must give Johnny Depp credit because he turned in one of his finest performances. Even though his penchant for dressing up and putting on an accent in almost every movie he's done recently has reached the point of self-parody, it feels more natural and fresh here. However, the rest of the cast is no slouch either. John Malkovich gives a restrained performance as Charles II (reprising his stage role) and Samantha Morton also does well as Elizabeth Barry, an actress who Wilmot tutors then has an affair with. Also making appearances are Jack Davenport (Jack Sparrow's nemesis in Pirates of the Caribbean) as one of his friends, and Rosamund Pike as his wife, Elizabeth Malet. Obviously, now, Rosamund Pike has come into her own as an actress with GONE GIRL, but her supporting work here shows the chops she brought to that more recent role, even if she wasn't given a whole lot to do.Still, there will be some issues with this film for some. The big one is the cinematography. I've seen it described as murky or grainy, and while that might be true to an extent, I don't really see it as a serious problem. For one, this film was shot with mostly natural light, if not all, and the lack of vibrant color is appropriate to the overall tone of the film and Wilmot's character as portrayed therein (or at least how he views life). As a libertine, he saw life as banal and went out of his way to make things more interesting for himself by being an all-around jerk and debauching all of the time. Personally, I didn't mind this either, but I can see how others might not like him, especially when he goes out of his way to make this clear to others (and the audience, at the beginning and end) just how unlikeable and how much of a cynic he is. My way into the film and his character was an icy and sardonic sense of humor, which was employed often.Towards the end, it tries to be a little sentimental by showing his physical deterioration, and while this was still done effectively it undermined what came before it slightly. Despite my slight misgivings about the way things turn out in the final act, one of the best scenes in the entire film is in this section.Overall, this isn't a film I'd necessarily return to, but I don't regret having watched it given how depressing it is. The score which accompanied it was decent enough and, despite what you might feel about the look of the film, it meshes well with the overall tone and Depp's performance. Just don't go in expecting him to be as cheery, optimistic or likable as he is in almost everything else he's done.

The uneven candle flame, twitching, lights thin, aristocratic face with arrogant smile and scornful provoking glance. This is John Wilmot, 2nd Earl of Rochester. A young man, in own way beautiful with some special Bohemian beauty. He frankly warms, that we'll not like him. Without hypocritical shyness, glutting his own truthfulness, he, with some relish, tells us about infinite liberality, intriguing women and setting men's teeth on edge. He made himself comfortable at court, no less comfortably and successfully married, and even more comfortably allowed for free expression of his desires, lusts and passions.The violent rebel, charming villain, free-thinker, unrestrained debauchee, rake, promiscuous bisexual, unprincipled cynic, John Wilmot, hourly bids defiance to public opinion, Londoners, King, God, life and death. His dirty-subtle lore shocks the feigned-decent ears, his drain-less binges and provocative tricks make his benefactor King Charles II lose his patience. J.Wilmot – is a lucky: young and pretty wife, patronage at the court of, friends-supporters, all the opportunities for creative realization, exceptional talent of playwright, public position and…total freedom of expression, which he successfully operates. By his own words, very few people will come near him in tenacity to debauchery. Of course, because all that surrounds him, - is sheer affectation, only illusion of gentle-hood. For what's in his mind is far more interesting than what's outside his mind. He's enticed by absolutely another England: dark, dirty, shameful cloaca, rotting and engulfing. And he, threw himself headlong into this cloaca, conniving at all his limitless and pathologic fantasies. Soon or later, this excessive disgraceful behavior begins to annoy others: the wife psych out, King rages, society excitedly cackles. Ah, how come: shameless Rochester dared publicly to live like majority just dream about, packing up themselves in cocoon of the fear of God and meekness. What makes this libertine – the desire to oppose himself to morally-good society? He needs to go to extremes, to overstep the marks, otherwise he ceases to breath and thus live… He could not dance a half measure, could he? He doesn't even see right to hold back his love in mediocre actress with no outstanding appearance. Day after day he patiently sculpts her talent and, as a result gives a high dazzling polish her modest talent. Eulogistic play for the King? And here Johnny has his special creative vision: his sarcastic freestyle performance is a pornographic representation of a royal court – a kind of monument to reign of King Charles II.The attitude of John Wilmot - is not to flounder for show in debauchery and habitual drunkenness, but do what is beyond his abilities. He is absolutely sincere in his impulses. And so careless and reckless. All his life – incline, which it is impossible to balance on. Showing principled promiscuity and carelessness, Johnny falls from the incline, and in shattering flight he has time to catch the lost values and rejected orientations. Clinging on leaving seconds of life, agonizing, he took God and, gathered his last strength, went to meet dying impulse - to do anything right, namely: to protect the Royal privileges. The lame, nose-less, half-blind John Wilmot, maneuvering by the crutches, but with congenital feline grace, in graceful manner of plastic, makes a dramatic entrance into Parliament and makes, saying the last of his life in a brilliant speech. He is perfect as never before in this moment, ugly-beautiful in his the most miserable and degenerate human form. Do we like him now? Do we?Johnny leaves, shuffling from the world. «The withered flower» crumbled into dust. Beautiful, unbridled and dizzy life- bacchanalia always finishes quickly and ingloriously. So ended the life and theater of John Wilmot. The curtain.The Earl of Rochester – is role for Johnny Depp. «The Libertine» - drama film for Johnny Depp. And in my opinion, it's the most prominent, brightest role of actor. It is impossible to imagine someone else in the image of this contradictory historical figure: the natural charisma combined with Gothic mystery of J.Depp provides him a plausible similarity with his character. Johnny Depp - as the reincarnation of raffish Earl.The film's atmosphere completely parallels to immoral inside of medieval London: the video is defiantly dirty, hopeless dark, oppressive, blowzy and obscene. This is it's organically-vulgar style of. «The Libertine» - it's none the ode to Sodom, as it can seem at first sight. It is a true story about man, high-handed in his furious quest to overstep the marks, neglecting as decency, morality, respectability and the basic safety precautions. This story tells, that greedy and back-alley intake of various pleasures and dubious pleasures soon or later will wear the body and depersonalize the soul. The rule is simple: any moral flaw is projected in a physiological disease. That is to say, the deep drinker is «awarded» a cirrhosis, evil genius – madness, and libertine - devastating venereal disease. Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's.Of course, this movie is not for everyone. Some people, drawn by involuntary hypnosis, couldn't take their eyes off the screen since the very first frame. Others, spitting with disgust, «knowingly» calls names of «bawdry», «bad taste», «guck». While this film promotes to check yourself, our liking, our intellect, our aesthetic perception. The exquisite sarcasm of dialogs and fascinating acting largely contributed to this.

This may be Johnny Depp's greatest movie role. His performance is uncanny in its depiction of an English playwright who refuses to be the hypocrite and pays the ultimate price. He is the epitome of self-destructive behavior; his addictions are obvious to all yet he is expected to conform in manner expected of a gentleman. He responds with debauchery, with scathing wit, with a rebelliousness that alienates his peers. Yet he is also loved and respected even as his life spirals downward to its ultimate doom. Nobody understands him; he lives in a rough time and there is no one to whom he can turn for support. He is reprimanded by those closest to him and he lashes out by making choices that hurts the very people who love him the most. This movie provides one of the most effective dramatizations of the artist in conflict with society. He recognizes what others refuse to acknowledge and his message is not a pretty one, but it is the truth. John Wilmot was supposed to write pretty pose for his king and be a dutiful husband, but for him such a lifestyle was a mere pretense, a phoniness that he had to reject for the sake of his integrity. As an artist he had a higher calling, that is, as a messenger of truth, and he lived it, no matter what the cost. He was driven by forces that were beyond his ability to control and which led directly to his demise, and to posthumous fame and respect.