Brief Text: Derek Jarman (1942-1994) is one of Britain’s most visionary and extraordinary film artists. Often in collaboration with actress and muse Tilda Swinton (2007 Oscar Winner for Michael Clayton), Jarman’s lush, experimental reflections on art, politics, sexuality and identity transcend and subvert both the genres in which he worked—the period costume drama, the biopic—as well as the boundaries of so-called gay filmmaking.
Full Info.: This four-disc set boasts two of Jarman’s most accomplished arthouse features (Caravaggio and Wittgenstein), and two of his most personal and avant-garde works (Blue and The Angelic Conversation). Glitterbox also debuts a treasure trove of additional material including the posthumously assembled 54-minute film collage Glitterbug; rare behind-the-scenes footage; extensive video and audio interviews; production galleries; and a 20-page illustrated booklet with essays, an interview with Oscar-winning costume designer Sandy Powell (The Aviator and Shakespeare in Love) and a tribute by Peter Christopherson, founder of industrial music pioneers Coil.
DISC ONE: CARAVAGGIO (1986)
Starring Tilda Swinton in her debut film role, Sean Bean (Lord of the Rings) and Nigel Terry (Excalibur), Caravaggio gorgeously re-imagines the volatile life of the controversial 17th-century painter through his brilliant, nearly blasphemous paintings and his flirtations with the Roman underworld. (90 mins).
Click here to buy CARAVAGGIO seperately.
DISC TWO: WITTGENSTEIN (1993)
Visually stunning and profoundly entertaining, Wittgenstein is the humorous portrait of the irreverent 20th-century Austrian philosopher who preferred detective fiction and Carmen Miranda musicals to Aristotle. (69 mins).
Also available on single disc
DISC THREE: THE ANGELIC CONVERSATION (1985)
Dreamlike and intensely poetic, The Angelic Conversation beautifully layers Dame Judi Dench’s emotive readings of Shakespeare love sonnets with ethereal Super-8 footage and languorous music by cult band Coil. (78 mins).
DISC FOUR: BLUE (1993)
In his final and most daring cinematic statement (a year before his death from AIDS in 1994), Blue lays bare Jarman’s physical and spiritual struggle through a rich soundscape of voices and music—set against a pure cobalt screen. (76 mins).
SPECIAL FEATURES:
CARAVAGGIO: Restored anamorphic transfer, created from Hi-Def elements • Video interviews with Tilda Swinton, Nigel Terry and production designer Christopher Hobbs • Audio commentary by cinematographer Gabriel Beristain • Rare audio and video interviews with Derek Jarman • Storyboard, notebook, production photo and design sketch galleries • English subtitles for the deaf and hearing impaired • Theatrical trailer
WITTGENSTEIN: Restored anamorphic transfer, created from Hi-Def elements • Video interviews with Tilda Swinton, actor Karl Johnson and producer Tariq Ali • Extensive behind-the-scenes footage • Video introduction by film historian Ian Christie • The Clearing (Alex Bistikas, 1994), a short film featuring Derek Jarman • English subtitles for the deaf and hearing impaired
THE ANGELIC CONVERSATION: Restored transfer • Video interviews with producer James Mackay and production designer Christopher Hobbs • Derek Jarman in conversation with Simon Field (1989) • English subtitles for the deaf and hearing impaired
BLUE: Glitterbug (1994), 54-minute film collage posthumously assembled by the filmmaker's friends and featuring original music by Brian Eno • English subtitles for the deaf and hearing impaired
