Groundbreaking and provocative director Derek Jarman’s adaptation of Christopher Marlowe’s eponymous 16th century play Edward II finally makes its DVD debut in a brand new remastered edition courtesy of Second Sight in March.
This compelling film tells the story of Britain’s only acknowledged and persecuted homosexual ruler, King Edward, whose infatuation with his lover Piers Gaveston, 1st Earl of Cornwall, rather than his wife Queen Isabella, led to a civil war.
In one of his most powerful films, Jarman uses anachronistic imagery – modern dress, gay activists battling riot police and Annie Lennox singing Cole Porter to parallel the injustice of the King with prevailing modern-day homophobia. The director stages the grim 16-century drama in a radical style and addresses the issues of homosexuality using his own powerful and inimitable style.
Edward II stars Steven Waddington (Sleepy Hollow, The Hole) as the handsome King and Jarman’s muse, Oscar winning Tilda Swinton (Michael Clayton, Burn After Reading) as his rejected and vengeful Queen.
Edward II will be released on UK DVD on 1st March 2010 at the RRP of £19.99. The disc will also include the bonus feature Derek’s Edward, an exclusive documentary featuring cast and crew interviews. |
