The thought that most immediately comes to mind with the mention of the
Marquis de Sade is that of sex--not just any sex, but the kinkiest acts
of fornication imaginable. Yet Philip Kaufman's provocative account of
the infamous 19th Century French writer's final days is titled _Quills_,
and the reason is simple: this powerful version of Sade's story is one
ultimately not about sensationalistic salaciousness, but the power--and
price--of self-expression.
But sex--both the forced act of and graphic writing about it--is, after
all, what lands the Marquis in various forms of captivity: prison and,
ultimately, an asylum. It is in the latter, Charenton, where Sade
(played by Geoffrey Rush) is introduced, submitting his latest torrid
text to a publisher through unlikely supporter Madeleine (Kate Winslet),
a young laundress. Immediately upon publication, Sade's sexually
explicit _Justine_ is the talk of France, leading an outraged Napoleon to
send self-righteous Dr. Royer-Collard (Michael Caine) to Charenton and
give Sade the discipline he had not been receiving under Abbé Coulmier
(Joaquin Phoenix), the young priest in charge of the asylum.
The clashes and collisions that power _Quills_ don't necessarily derive
from differences in one's nature than differences in one's ideals. The
conflict between Royer-Collard and the Marquis is the film's most heated,
but they are two sides of the same proverbial coin. For all his talk
about morality, Royer-Collard is himself engaged in a scandalous
affair--that with Simone (Amelia Warner), his very young, almost
child-like bride; the hypocritical doctor shields what would otherwise be
a frowned-upon indulgence under an "upstanding" societal
convention--marriage--while Sade is shameless in expressing his darker,
deep-seated urges. The seemingly angelic Madeleine is, in fact, Sade's
closest match. She is quite comfortable with and honest about having
those base instincts, but she knows her place in her constricting world;
hence, she enjoys her natural naughtiness in the expanse of her mind,
whose limitless imagination is further fueled by possibilities presented
by Sade's incendiary prose. For the Abbé, his most-valued belief in a
divinity overpowers--barely--his simmering attraction to Madeleine.
The psychological conflicts, both internal and external, are lent
immediacy by the actors. Caine, in a much more impressive performance
than his Oscar-winning _Cider_House_Rules_ turn, is a subtly formidable
foil to Rush, who gives the Marquis genuine vulnerability as his veneers
are gradually stripped away. The complexities of Madeleine are handled
with characteristic ease by the ever-astonishing (and -ravishing)
Winslet, and Phoenix proves his versatility with his nuanced portrayal of
the anguished Abbé.
Given the subject matter, _Quills_ could have been unbearably heavy, but
Kaufman and writer Doug Wright (adapting his own play) infuse the film
with a decadent playfulness befitting a film about the Marquis--a spirit
that is perfectly embodied by the exuberant Rush. This quality does act
as reinforcement of the film's endorsement of uninhibited expression, but
to Kaufman and Wright's credit, they don't sidestep the negative fallout
that could occur along with the obvious benefits of artistic freedom.
Prices, both fair and unfair, are paid all around, and those costs
continue to be felt even after _Quills_ etches the disappointingly
contrived images of its lackluster epilogue.
