THE LIBERTINE (2004)

Directed by  Laurence Dunmore. Starring Johnny  Depp, John Malkovich, Susan Morton, Rosamund Pike. Drama/Historical Synopsis: A frank look at the last few years of the Earl of Rochester, John Wilmot, a 17th century poet who was both a friend of King Charles and one of the more influential authors of the Restoration.

This film starts with Johnny Depp as John Wilmot doing a monologue that is shocking in its sexual suggestiveness (considering our modern view of the 1600's) and includes John Wilmot telling us that we will not like him.  

Well, I have to beg to differ. I liked the character and the film quite a bit. I got this one solely because of Johnny Depp (Secret Window, From Hell), who will become a legend if he keeps reinventing himself from role to role. Though I'm a history buff, I had never even heard of John Wilmot and, as usual, I did my background research after seeing this flick. I'm happy to report that, so far as I can tell, the movie stays pretty close to the written history of this talented writer and social agitator who, almost literally, drank and fornicated himself (in a manner of speaking) to death by the age of 33.

The story does not waste much time with a lot of historical background or explanation. Whether this was calculated with an eye to a primarily British audience or not, I don't know but I think that it is a good thing, as the social and political affairs of the time in Britain are going to be outside the knowledge of most viewers. Plus, the story stands fine on its own. John Wilmot is a privileged man in search of nothing other than self pleasure. His taste for the excess is, in no way, dimmed by his station in life or his friendship with the King (John Malkovich Burn After Reading, Mary Reilly). We see from the first moments of the movie that Wilmot is not one to deny himself and, I must say, the sexual innuendo and suggestion might surprise some of you. 

Wilmot is a writer, obviously talented but maybe viewed as underachieving at a time and in a place where literary people wielded much more influence than is comprehensible for us today. He also has a love of the theater, where he sets out to mold a struggling young actress (Susan Morton), with whom he, of course, has an affair. It should be mentioned that Wilmot is married at this time and, in fact, was married until his death, notwithstanding his sexual excesses (including a strong implication of bisexuality).

Wilmot has success in helping his protege become the toast of London, but he is soon in the middle of controversy as he takes a request from the King to pen a play and turns it into a suggestive and lewd satire of the King and his court. Needless to say, this does not go over, as they say, real big and Wilmot is soon on the lam, his relationship with his girlfriend in the tank and estranged from his, for whatever reason, loyal wife.

During this time, Wilmot's physical condition starts to completely deteriorate and the film is quite graphic in depicting the effects of his alcoholism and "social disease" (probably syphilis). Believe it or not, you will see Johnny Depp literally rot before your eyes. Not pretty, but effective cinema that is necessary for the story and also accurate history. To me, you can't help but like Wilmot even as you despise his lifestyle. Maybe he was just a couple of hundred years ahead of his time in attitude, but understand that the film makes no attempt to romanticize or glamorize his sexual conquests or hedonistic lifestyle. Wilmot paid a huge price for this, believe me.

On the other hand, I think the real success of this flick is showing us a little known historical figure whose ideas would not be so far out of step with those of the late nineteenth or twentieth century. An unforgettable scene is a horribly disfigured Wilmot addressing the King's Court and supporting the future succession of the throne from the King (now an enemy of Wilmot's) to his brother who is, hold your breath now, a Catholic.

Johhny Depp is fantastic in this role, disturbingly likeable and completely believable in this role. For those of you who have seen this movie, how many actors of his stature would play a role that is so visually unappealing? Susan Morton is wonderful as well, playing a liberated woman who, like Wilmot, is centuries ahead of her time. And, it will be no surprise that I tell you John Malkovich is great, though almost unrecognizable as the King.