Queering the Canon: LOVE IS THE DEVIL: STUDY FOR A PORTRAIT OF FRANCIS BACON (1998)
A scintillating portrait of painter Francis Bacon and his unflinching love affair with a small-time crook, featuring standout performances from Derek Jacobi and Daniel Craig
Description
An unflinching, stylized portrait of painter Francis Bacon (Derek Jacobi) and his tumultuous love affair with small-time crook George Dyer (Daniel Craig) from visionary filmmaker John Maybury. Bacon is at the height of his fame in the 1960s when a would-be thief breaks into his studio – sparking curiosity and desire in the artist’s eye. Thus begins an addictive romance – melding personal infatuation with messy dynamics, as spirits of domination and naivete co-mingle.
Writer/director Maybury tells this turbulent story with the acerbic wit and fragmented formalism befitting of the titular artist and his work. This undersung festival hit, which premiered in Un Certain Regard at the Cannes Film Festival in 1998, features fully-committed standout performances from Jacobi and Craig with a deliciously dedicated eye to the power of passion.
“A masterpiece!” – The Guardian, UK
“Brilliant” – New York Post
Part of Queering the Canon: So Obsessed
Director
John Maybury
Cast
Derek Jacobi, Daniel Craig, Anne Lambton, Karl Johnson, Tilda Swinton