Wittgenstein (film)

Wittgenstein
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Derek Jarman
Assistant Director - Davina Nicholson
Produced by Tariq Ali
Takashi Asai
Ben Gibson
Eliza Mellor
Written by Ken Butler
Terry Eagleton
Derek Jarman
Starring Clancy Chassay, Michael Gough and Tilda Swinton
Music by Jan Latham-Koenig[1]
Cinematography James Welland
Edited by Budge Tremlett
Release date
 17 September 1993 (1993-09-17)
Running time
 75 minutes
Country Japan, UK
Language English
Budget £300,000 ($ 450,000)[1]

Wittgenstein is a 1993 film by the English director Derek Jarman. It is loosely based on the life story as well as the philosophical thinking of the philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein. The adult Wittgenstein is played by Karl Johnson. Tilda Swinton portrayed the Wittgenstein’s rather camp aristocratic mistress.[2]

The original screenplay was by the literary critic Terry Eagleton. Jarman heavily rewrote the script during pre-production and shooting, radically altering the style and structure, although retaining much of Eagleton's dialogue. The story is not played out in a traditional setting, but rather against a black backdrop within which the actors and key props are placed, as if in a theatre setting.

The film was originally part of a series of 12 films on the life and ideas of the philosopher, produced by Tariq Ali on behalf of Channel Four. Only four scripts got commissioned, Socrates by Howard Brenton, Spinoza by Tariq Ali, Locke by David Edgar and Wittenstein by Terry Eagleton. Spinoza was filmed and directed by Chris Spencer as Spinoza : The Apostle of Reason. Also Citizen Locke was filmed and directed by Agnieszka Piotrowska. They were transmitted in 1994 as 52 min long television films.[3]

Principal cast

Script

  • Eagleton, Terry (1993). Wittgenstein: The Terry Eagleton Script, The Derek Jarman Film. London, England: British Film Institute, pp. 151. ISBN 978-0-85170-397-8

Award

Reception

Critical reception for the film has been generally positive and the movie holds a rating of 83% on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 6 reviews and an audience score of 76% from 617 views.[5] Derek Elley of Variety (magazine) in 1993, stated it was a "immaculately lensed, intellectual joke" with "gay subtext".[1]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 Elley, Derek (23 February 1993). "Wittgenstein". Variety. Retrieved 22 September 2018.
  2. 1 2 Tindle, Hannah (14 June 2017). "Tilda Swinton's Most Fabulous Character to Date". anothermag.com. Retrieved 21 September 2018.
  3. ↑ Rowland Wymer Derek Jarman, p. 158, at Google Books
  4. ↑ Derek Jarman Smiling in Slow Motion, p. 324, at Google Books
  5. ↑ "Wittgenstein". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 21 September 2018.


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