The Libertine (2004 film)
| The Libertine | |
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Film poster
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| Directed by | Laurence Dunmore |
| Produced by |
John Malkovich Lianne Halfon Russell Smith |
| Written by | Stephen Jeffreys |
| Starring |
Johnny Depp Samantha Morton John Malkovich Rosamund Pike |
| Music by | Michael Nyman |
| Cinematography | Alexander Melman |
| Edited by | Jill Bilcock |
| Distributed by | The Weinstein Company |
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Release date
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Running time
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130 minutes (US) 114 minutes (UK) |
| Country | United Kingdom Australia |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $20 million |
| Box office | $10,852,064 |
The Libertine is a 2005 British-Australian drama film, the first film directed by Laurence Dunmore. It was adapted by Stephen Jeffreys from his play of the same name, starring Johnny Depp, John Malkovich, Samantha Morton and Rosamund Pike.
Depp stars as John Wilmot, 2nd Earl of Rochester, a notorious rake and libertine poet in the court of King Charles II of England. Samantha Morton plays Elizabeth Barry, an actress whose budding talent blossoms and makes her much in demand under Rochester's tutelage. Wilmot and Barry become lovers. John Malkovich plays King Charles II, who is torn between his affection for Wilmot and the danger posed by his displays of contempt for his sovereign. Themes explored in the film include the corruption of a people by their self-indulgent monarch and the pursuit of hedonism.
The film was shot on location in Wales.
The story begins with John Wilmot, Second Earl of Rochester (Depp), delivering his prologue, the main themes of which are his fondness for drink, his sexual proclivities, and his disdain for his audience.
King Charles II (Malkovich) decides to summon his great friend, the Earl, back to London, retracting a year-long banishment for humiliating him, after only three month's exile. Rochester arrives in London to find his friends in a bawdy house; they are known as the "Merry Gang" and include George Etherege (Hollander) and Charles Sackville (Vegas). On the street, Rochester comes across a thief, Alcock (Coyle), whose frankness about his dishonesty impresses Rochester. He hires Alcock as his gentleman on the spot. The Merry Gang introduce its newest member, 18-year-old Billy Downs (Friend). Rochester warns Downs, "Young man, you will die of this company."
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