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Caravaggio

Play trailer 1:43 Poster for Caravaggio 1986 1h 29m History Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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82% Tomatometer 11 Reviews 68% Popcornmeter 2,500+ Ratings
This fictional portrait of Italian Renaissance artist Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio (Nigel Terry) follows the painter as he wanders the streets, often using prostitutes and homeless people as models for his work, which was lauded in his own time. Involved with two very different lovers, Ranuccio (Sean Bean) and Lena (Tilda Swinton), Caravaggio leads a troubled life in spite of his relative success, with his reckless behavior steering him towards an early grave.
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Caravaggio

Critics Reviews

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Paul Attanasio Washington Post I may be a dull fellow, but from the very beginning of Caravaggio, I hadn't the slightest idea as to what Jarman was up to. Jan 1, 2000 Full Review Michael Bronski Gay Community News (Boston) What emerges is a passionate story of a bisexual artist... who falls in love with a street thug. Aug 25, 2022 Full Review Robin Holabird Robin Holabird Jarman's best achievement in the film comes from recreating the staging of Caravaggio paintings. Lighting, colors, and sets mix beautifully along with the faces and figures of such renowned performers as Tilda Swinton and Sean Bean. Aug 11, 2021 Full Review Andrew L. Urban Urban Cinefile Famed for its fabulously evocative recreation of the light/shade luminosity of Caravaggio's oil paintings, Caravaggio is nevertheless something of a victim of its times....But despite that, it is a wonderfully bold work, simply irresistible to look at Aug 9, 2008 Full Review Beth Accomando KPBS.org Rated: 3/5 Jan 17, 2008 Full Review Thomas Delapa Boulder Weekly Rated: 2/5 Sep 23, 2005 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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B * If you like ongoing artistic starings in the abyss, this is your movie! Sweaty pores, off shoulder sheets, muddy faces, circus, sex and insanity.. the boomers in the audience were delighted! I could't hold my giggles. A movie about a painter and they asked an amateur to vomit something on a canvas? But a deep stare (sigh) solves everything. This movie didn't age well and made me believe even more: boomers are bonkers. Stare again! Rated 1 out of 5 stars 10/03/25 Full Review Glafira Regina O Although critics gave this film positive reviews, out of the 400 thousand spent on production, Caravaggio only grossed 240 thousand at the box office. Not surprising. Throughout the entire 90 minutes, the actors delivered maybe 30 lines of dialogue. The soundtrack, thankfully, was there, but it wasn’t enough to fill all the silence. It’s more like a silent movie about Caravaggio set in the modern world, where he smokes cigarettes and you can hear cars honking outside the window. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 01/04/25 Full Review Eric T I've never seen such a combination of artist beauty and gritty reality in one film. Each frame is a masterpiece of composition, yet you can almost taste the dust and dirt. All the performances are top notch and the loving recreation of Caravaggio's works makes this a must see for anyone interested in art, especially the art of film. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 12/29/23 Full Review John A This film has some striking imagery and features some great actors in very early roles but I found myself way too bored for a film with a premise like this. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 02/25/23 Full Review Audience Member Promising start and some artistic flair which is fitting but the constant flitting to modern props and the dreamlike analogies are too much. I lost interest after the first half hour and from then onwards it became a slog to get through. How this made sight and Sound's top 250 films is just plain odd. Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars 01/28/23 Full Review s r 1001 movies to see before you die. A fictionalized contrivance of Carvaggio's work that was a struggle to get through. RUS. Rated 1 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Caravaggio

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Cast & Crew

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Derek Jarman

Director

Nigel Terry

Caravaggio

Sean Bean

Ranuccio

Michael Gough

Cardinal Del Monte

Tilda Swinton

Lena

Nigel Davenport

Giustiniani

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Caravaggio

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Caravaggio

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Movie Info

Synopsis This fictional portrait of Italian Renaissance artist Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio (Nigel Terry) follows the painter as he wanders the streets, often using prostitutes and homeless people as models for his work, which was lauded in his own time. Involved with two very different lovers, Ranuccio (Sean Bean) and Lena (Tilda Swinton), Caravaggio leads a troubled life in spite of his relative success, with his reckless behavior steering him towards an early grave.
Director
Derek Jarman
Producer
Sarah Radclyffe
Screenwriter
Derek Jarman
Distributor
Zeitgeist Films
Genre
History, Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Dec 31, 1986, Wide
Rerelease Date (Theaters)
Apr 16, 2002
Release Date (Streaming)
May 3, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA)
$3.2K
Runtime
1h 29m
Sound Mix
Dolby SR, Dolby Digital, Dolby A, Dolby Stereo
Aspect Ratio
Flat (1.66:1)
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