Quills (2000)

Quills (2000). 2 1/2 stars out of 4. Starring Geoffrey Rush, Michael Caine, Kate Winslett and Joaquin Phoenix. Written by Doug Wright, based upon his play. Directed by Philip Kaufman. Rated R.

I have no objection to movies that try to send a message or make a pertinent point about the integrity of the artist or freedom of expression.

What I canít abide, though, are films that do it in such a heavy-handed, obvious manner that it seems condescending to the audience.

 Such a movie is Quills.

With a screenplay by Doug Wright, based upon his play, and direction by Philip Kaufman, Quills is at times riveting, disturbing and provocative.

But it also is obvious. The story revolves around the last days of the infamous Marquis de Sade (Geoffrey Rush), locked up in the Charenton Asylum, but still allowed quills and ink to write his shocking and explicit novels.

Emperor Napoleon, disgusted by de Sadeís writings, orders Dr. Royer-Collard (Michael Caine), a conservative moralist, to oversee the asylum and cure de Sade by any means possible.

At the asylum, Abbe Coulmier (Joaquin Phoenix) uses more humanitarian methods to try to reach those mentally defectives incarcerated in his institution. He encourages painting and theater, plays staged and written by de Sade, in the hopes of soothing the demons within his charges.

Where Quills missteps is in the portrayal of Royer-Collard. He is so obviously one-dimensional hypocritical, venal, capricious, small-minded that the scales are automatically tilted in favor of de Sade, no matter how abominable you may find his writings.

De Sade is fighting for freedom of expression no matter the subject, no matter the cost. Royer-Collard is the symbol for those who want to stifle that freedom and make everyone conform to what the state considers the norm.

Who in their right mind could favor Royer-Collard's position?

Wright and Kaufman have so stacked the deck that Caine has no chance of creating any understanding of his character or his position. Wright and Kaufman fail to instill one iota of decency or compassion within Royer-Collard.

And this is grossly unfair and totally undermines their argument.

Rushís de Sade is a flamboyant rabble-rouser who believes his writings are art that forces his readers to examine their souls and convictions.

Rush does not portray the marquis as a dirty old man, but rather as a singular, hedonistic visionary who fervently believes pleasure is no sin.

Caine does his best with what Wright and Kaufman have given him. His Royer-Collard is cold and calculating.

Kate Winslett portrays Madeleine, the asylum laundress who is de Sadeís courier to the outside world. She smuggles the marquisí writings to his publisher's agent by hiding the papers in her laundry basket.

In exchange the marquis reads his works to her, as well as teaches her to read and write.

Phoenix instills his cleric with benevolence and mercy. He also displays his battles with temptation as he fights his attraction toward Madeleine.

Kaufman stages some rather interesting sequences, including one in which de Sade, stripped of quill and ink, arranges a relay system in which his latest work is passed on from inmate to inmate until it reaches Madeleine, who transcribes it.

Toward the end, Quills falters as it becomes a gross depiction of torture and humiliation, almost a chapter from a de Sade novel.

Quills is a rather interesting feature. If only Wright and Kaufman had not been so fervent is trumpeting their message. A little more balance would have gone a long way toward making Quills a much better cinematic argument.

Bob Bloom is the film critic at the Journal and Courier in Lafayette, IN. He can be reached by e-mail at bloom@journal-courier.com. Other reviews by Bloom can be found at www.jconline.com at golafayette. Bloom's reviews also can be found on the Web at the Internet Movie Database at: http://www.imdb.com/M/reviews_by?Bob+Bloom