Caravaggio Movie Review

Caravaggio (1986)

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Written by: Derek Jarman (screenplay) and Nicholas Ward Jackson (from an original idea by), Suso Cecchi D'Amico (collaboration, uncredited)
Directed by: Derek Jarman
Starring: Nigel Terry, Sean Bean, Garry Cooper, Dexter Fletcher, Tilda Swinton, Robbie Coltrane
Rated: NR [PG-13]
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Plot
A retelling of the life of the celebrated 17th-century painter through his brilliant, nearly blasphemous paintings and his flirtations with the underworld.

Verdict
This feels like a movie better suited for a film appreciation class. It's an arthouse movie, more interested in mood than coherence. It's the artistic decisions that make this movie interesting more than the story itself. Initially this seems to use modern trappings as a shorthand, but later it might just be a lack of budget. Caravaggio falls into a few artist stereotypes like romancing his models, and that ultimately leads to his biggest regret.
Skip it.

Review
Caravaggio was an early 17th century painter that inspired the Baroque style. Initially this movie seems like his musings at the end of life as he's relegated to bed. This jumps back to Caravaggio (Nigel Terry) as a boy, a street artist. A Cardinal takes him in and funds his work throughout his life.

Nigel Terry plays Caravaggio

This doesn't explain much. Caravaggio becomes involved with a street fighter, and he was famous for using people from the street as models for his art. This falls into a few artist tropes. Caravaggio becomes interested in his models, both men and women. With the narration, this seems like the musings of an artist at the end. Framed by a bed ridden Caravaggio, this cuts back to important moments in his life.

With several anachronisms like a typewriter and calculator among several, this seemed to use modern trappings as a shorthand. Contemporary speech certainly makes this easier to understand. The anachronisms are a nod to Caravaggio's paintings. His religious paintings utilized contemporary elements. I didn't know that off hand, I was searching for an explanation.

Nigel Terry, Sean Bean play Caravaggio, Ranuccio

This has a very slow pace, most of the movie is Caravaggio concerned with arranging models for his paintings or flirting with them. His love triangle with Ranuccio (Sean Bean) and Lena (Tilda Swinton) only creates jealousy with the two of them both eager for Caravaggio's attention. Nothing good comes from it.

Caravaggio is a tortured artist, recounting moments from his life as he's now at the end. Ranuccio takes up most of the time as it was a pivotal moment in his life. We don't know what happened after Ranuccio, but it still haunts him even at the end.