Quills
Film poster
Directed by	Philip Kaufman
Produced by	Julia Chasman Peter Kaufman Nick Wechsler
Written by	Doug Wright
Starring	Geoffrey Rush Kate Winslet Joaquin Phoenix Michael Caine
Music by	Stephen Warbeck
Cinematography	Rogier Stoffers
Editing by	Peter Boyle
Distributed by	Fox Searchlight Pictures
Release date(s)	September 2, 2000 (Telluride Film Festival) November 22, 2000 (limited release) December 15, 2000 December 15, 2000 January 19, 2001 March 1, 2001 March 1, 2001 March 21, 2001
Running time	124 minutes
Country	United States/United Kingdom
Language	English
Gross revenue	$17,989,227
Official website
All Movie Guide profile
IMDb profile

Quills is a 2000 period drama directed by Philip Kaufman and adapted from the Obie award-winning play by Doug Wright, who also wrote the original screenplay. Inspired by the life and work of the Marquis de Sade, Quills re-imagines the last years of the Marquis' incarceration in the insane asylum at Charenton. It stars Geoffrey Rush as the Marquis de Sade, Joaquin Phoenix as the Abbé du Coulmier, Michael Caine as Dr. Royer-Collard, and Kate Winslet as laundress Madeleine "Maddy" LeClerc. A film poster for Quills, contended as fair use. ... German Three sheet Movie poster for Metropolis. ... Philip Kaufman (born October 23, 1936) is a film director and screenwriter from Chicago, Illinois. ... Doug Wright is an award-winning American playwright, librettist, and screenplay writer. ... Geoffrey Roy Rush (born 6 July 1951) is an Academy Award- and Emmy Award-winning Australian actor. ... Kate Elizabeth Winslet (born October 5, 1975) is a five time Academy Award-nominated Emmy Award-nominated BAFTA, Grammy and Screen Actors Guild Award winning English actress. ... Joaquín Rafael Phoenix (pronounced IPA: ) (born October 28, 1974), formerly credited as Leaf Phoenix, is a two-time Academy Award-nominated, Golden Globe and Grammy Award-winning Puerto Rican-born American actor. ... Sir Maurice Joseph Micklewhite, Jr. ... Stephen Warbeck (born 1948) is a British composer, best known for his film and television scores. ... Fox Searchlight Pictures logo. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... September 2 is the 245th day of the year (246th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This is a list of film-related events in 2000. ... 32nd Poster, by Dave McKean The Telluride Film Festival was started in 1974 by Bill and Stella Pence, Tom Luddy and Jim Card in the town of Telluride, Colorado. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... is the 326th day of the year (327th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This is a list of film-related events in 2000. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... is the 349th day of the year (350th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This is a list of film-related events in 2000. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... is the 349th day of the year (350th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This is a list of film-related events in 2000. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_Kingdom. ... January 19 is the 19th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the 1968 science-fiction film and novel, see 2001: A Space Odyssey The year 2001 in film involved some significant events. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... is the 60th day of the year (61st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the 1968 science-fiction film and novel, see 2001: A Space Odyssey The year 2001 in film involved some significant events. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_New_Zealand. ... is the 60th day of the year (61st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the 1968 science-fiction film and novel, see 2001: A Space Odyssey The year 2001 in film involved some significant events. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... March 21 is the 80th day of the year (81st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the 1968 science-fiction film and novel, see 2001: A Space Odyssey The year 2001 in film involved some significant events. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... This is a list of film-related events in 2000. ... In the performing arts, a period piece is a work set in a particular era. ... Philip Kaufman (born October 23, 1936) is a film director and screenwriter from Chicago, Illinois. ... The Obie Awards, short for Off-Broadway Theater Awards, are annual awards bestowed by the newspaper The Village Voice on theater artists performing in New York City. ... Doug Wright is an award-winning American playwright, librettist, and screenplay writer. ... Portrait of the Marquis de Sade by Charles-Amédée-Philippe van Loo (c. ... Charenton was an insane asylum, founded in 1645 by the Frères de la Charité in Charenton-Saint-Maurice, France. ... Geoffrey Roy Rush (born 6 July 1951) is an Academy Award- and Emmy Award-winning Australian actor. ... Portrait of the Marquis de Sade by Charles-Amédée-Philippe van Loo (c. ... Joaquín Rafael Phoenix (pronounced IPA: ) (born October 28, 1974), formerly credited as Leaf Phoenix, is a two-time Academy Award-nominated, Golden Globe and Grammy Award-winning Puerto Rican-born American actor. ... Abbé François Simonet de Coulmier (b. ... Sir Maurice Joseph Micklewhite, Jr. ... Kate Elizabeth Winslet (born October 5, 1975) is a five time Academy Award-nominated Emmy Award-nominated BAFTA, Grammy and Screen Actors Guild Award winning English actress. ...

Well-received by critics, Quills garnered numerous accolades for star Geoffrey Rush, including nominations for an Oscar and a Golden Globe. The film was a modest art house success, averaging $27,709 per screen its debut weekend, and eventually grossing $17,989,277 internationally. Cited by historians as factually inaccurate, Quills filmmakers and writers said they were not making a biography of de Sade, but exploring issues such as censorship, pornography, sex, art, mental illness, and religion.^[1][2] The Academy Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role is one of the awards given to actors working in the motion picture industry by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences; nominations are made by Academy members who are actors and actresses. ... The Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Motion Picture - Drama was first awarded by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association as a separate category in 1951. ... Censorship is defined as the removal and/or withholding of information from the public by a controlling group or body. ... Porn redirects here. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... The Bath, a painting by Mary Cassatt (1844–1926). ... A mental illness or mental disorder refers to one of many mental health conditions characterized by distress, impaired cognitive functioning, atypical behavior, emotional dysregulation, and/or maladaptive behavior. ...

Plot

Quills begins during the Reign of Terror, with the incarcerated Marquis de Sade (Geoffrey Rush) penning a story about the libidinous Mademoiselle Renare, an aristocrat who meets the preeminent sadist in her executioner. The Reign of Terror (September 5, 1793 – July 28, 1794) or simply The Terror (French: la Terreur) was a period of about ten months during the French Revolution when struggles between rival factions led to mutual radicalization which took on a violent character with mass executions by guillotine. ... Geoffrey Roy Rush (born 6 July 1951) is an Academy Award- and Emmy Award-winning Australian actor. ...

The film resumes several years later with the Marquis confined to the asylum at Charenton, overseen by the enlightened Abbé du Coulmier (Joaquin Phoenix). The Marquis has been publishing his work through laundress Madeleine "Maddy" LeClerc (Kate Winslet), who smuggles manuscripts through an anonymous horseman (Tom Ward) to a publisher. The Marquis' latest work, Justine, is published on the black market to great success. Napoleon (Ron Cook) orders all copies of the book burned and the author shot, but his advisor, Delbené (Patrick Malahide), tempers this contentious idea with one of his own: send traditionalist Doctor Royer-Collard (Michael Caine) to look in at Charenton and silence the Marquis. Charenton was an insane asylum, founded in 1645 by the Frères de la Charité in Charenton-Saint-Maurice, France. ... Abbé François Simonet de Coulmier (b. ... Joaquín Rafael Phoenix (pronounced IPA: ) (born October 28, 1974), formerly credited as Leaf Phoenix, is a two-time Academy Award-nominated, Golden Globe and Grammy Award-winning Puerto Rican-born American actor. ... Kate Elizabeth Winslet (born October 5, 1975) is a five time Academy Award-nominated Emmy Award-nominated BAFTA, Grammy and Screen Actors Guild Award winning English actress. ... Tom Ward (born 1971) is a British actor. ... Justine (or The Misfortunes of Virtue, or several other titles: see below) is a classical erotic novel by Donatien Alphonse François de Sade, better known as the Marquis de Sade. ... For other uses, see Napoleon (disambiguation). ... Ron Cook (born in South Shields, Tyne and Wear, United Kingdom) is a British actor, who has been active in the theatre, film and television since the 1970s. ... Patrick Malahide (born March 24, 1945) is an English actor, who has played many major film and television roles. ... Sir Maurice Joseph Micklewhite, Jr. ...

Geoffrey Rush as Marquis de Sade

Dr. Royer-Collard arrives, informing the Abbé that the Marquis' "therapeutic writings" have been distributed for public consumption. Horrified, the Abbé rejects Royer-Collard's offers of several archaic "treatments" and asks to speak with the Marquis himself, who promptly swears obedience (winking at Madeleine through a peephole). Royer-Collard takes his leave for the time being and travels to the Panthemont Convent in Paris to retrieve his promised bride, the underage Simone (Amelia Warner). They are gifted a run-down chateau by the Emperor, with a handsome young architect, Prouix (Stephen Moyer) on hand for its renovation. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Geoffrey Roy Rush (born 6 July 1951) is an Academy Award- and Emmy Award-winning Australian actor. ... Portrait of the Marquis de Sade by Charles-Amédée-Philippe van Loo (c. ... Amelia Warner (born June 4, 1982) is an English actress. ... Stephen Emery Moyer (born in 1969 in Brentwood, Essex) is an English actor. ...

The hasty marriage incites much gossip at the asylum, prompting the Marquis to write a farce to be performed at a public exhibition. The audacious play, titled "The Crimes of Love", is interrupted when the inmate Bouchon (British character actor Stephen Marcus) molests Madeleine off-stage, prompting her to hit him in the face with an iron. Royer-Collard shuts down the public theater and demands that the Abbé do more to control the Marquis. Infuriated, the Abbé confiscates the Marquis' quills and ink, prompting more subversive behavior, including a story written in blood on clothing. This results in further deprivation, eventually leaving the Marquis naked in an empty cell. A character actor is an actor, especially in motion pictures, who predominantly performs in similar roles throughout the course of a career. ...

While this is occurring at the asylum, Simone has been violently introduced to the adult world by her husband. She unrepentantly purchases a copy of the Marquis de Sade's Justine, seduces Prioux, and the young lovers run off together. She leaves behind a letter explaining her actions and her copy of Justine. Upon finding this, Dr. Royer-Collard seizes on the Marquis as the source of his troubles and embarks upon a quest for revenge.

About to be sent away from Charenton for her role in assisting the Marquis, Madeleine begs a last story from him, which is to be relayed to her through the asylum patients. Bouchon, the inmate at the end of the relay, is excited by the story, breaks out of his cell, and kills Madeleine. The asylum is set afire by the pyromaniac Dauphin (George Yiasoumi) and the inmates break out of their cells.

Madeline's body is found by her blind mother in the laundry vat and Bouchon is captured and imprisoned inside an iron dummy. The Abbé blames the Marquis for Madeleine's death and prods him into a fury. The Marquis claims he had been with Madeleine in every way imaginable, only to be told she had died a virgin. The Abbé cuts out the Marquis' tongue as punishment for his involvement. The Marquis' health declines severely, though perverse as ever, he decorates his oubliette with a story, using feces as ink. As the Abbé finishes reading the last rites, he offers the Marquis a crucifix to kiss, which he swallows and chokes on, thus committing suicide. In Roman times, Vestal Virgins were strictly celibate or they were punished by death. ... This article includes a list of works cited or a list of external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks in-text citations. ...

A year later, the new Abbé du Maupas (Alex Avery) arrives at Charenton and is given the grand tour. The asylum has been converted into a printing press, with the inmates as its staff. The books being printed are the works of the Marquis de Sade. At the end of the tour, the new Abbé meets his predecessor, who resides in the Marquis' old cell. Yearning to write, he begs paper and a quill from the Abbé, who is herded off by Royer-Collard, now overseer of the asylum. However, the peephole opens, and Madeleine's mother thrusts paper, quill, and ink through. The Abbé begins to scribble furiously, with the Marquis providing the narration.^[3] Alex Avery is an English actor who played SC Terry Knowles in The Bill in 2001, and played Carl in Holby City in 1999, and has guest starred in Shameless and appeared in the movie Quills and will be appearing in a Neil Jordan film in the future. ...

Production

Filming began in England on August 5, 1999,^[4] with Oxfordshire, Bedfordshire, and London standing in for early nineteenth century France.^[5] Oscar-winning production designer Martin Childs (Shakespeare in Love) imagined the primary location of Charenton as an airy, though circuitous place, darkening as Royer-Collard takes over operations. The screenplay specifies the way the inmates' rooms link together, which plays a key role in the relay of the Marquis' climactic story to Madeleine.^[6] Screenwriter/playwright Doug Wright was a constant presence on set, assisting the actors and producers in interpreting the script and bringing his vision to life.^[7] Oscar-nominated costume designer Jacqueline West created the intricate period costumes, using each character as inspiration. West previously worked with director Philip Kaufman on his crime drama Rising Sun. For Joaquin Phoenix's Abbé, costumers designed special “pleather” clogs to accommodate the actor's veganism. In one scene, Geoffrey Rush's Marquis de Sade wears a suit decorated in bloody script, which West described as “challenging” to make. It features actual writings of de Sade and costumers planned exactly where each sentence should go on the fabric. Before production began, West gave Winslet a copy of French painter Léopold Boilly's “Woman Ironing” to give her a feel for the character, which Winslet said greatly influenced her performance.^[8] Casting directors Donna Isaacson and Priscilla John recruited a number of actors from a disabled actor's company to play the parts of many of the inmates at Charenton.^[7] Oxfordshire (abbreviated Oxon, from the Latinised form Oxonia) is a county in the South East of England, bordering on Northamptonshire, Buckinghamshire, Berkshire, Wiltshire, Gloucestershire, and Warwickshire. ... Bedfordshire (abbreviated Beds) is a county in England that forms part of the East of England region. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... The Academy Awards are the oldest awards ceremony for achievements in motion pictures. ... Production designer is a term used in the movie industry to refer to the person with the responsibility for designing the sets and costumes and choosing locations, and thus for creating the overall visual appearance of a film. ... Shakespeare in Love is an award-winning 1998 romantic comedy film. ... Sample from a screenplay, showing dialogue and action descriptions. ... Doug Wright is an award-winning American playwright, librettist, and screenplay writer. ... This Academy Award was first given for movies made in 1948 when separate awards were given for black-and-white and color movies. ... Costume design is the design of the appearance of the characters in a theater or cinema performance. ... Rising Sun is a 1993 movie directed by Philip Kaufman and starring Sean Connery, Wesley Snipes, Harvey Keitel and Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa. ... Pleather (plastic leather) is a slang term for synthetic leather made out of plastic. ... Arrival of the stagecoach, 1803. ...

Cast

The Abbé (Joaquin Phoenix) and Madeleine LeClerc (Kate Winslet)

• Geoffrey Rush as the Marquis de Sade: The flamboyantly outrageous Marquis refuses to conform to the moral standards of the day, making an enemy of Napoleon with his scandalous pornography and political commentary. Director Philip Kaufman encouraged Rush to portray the Marquis as something of a dissolute rock star holed up in the Ritz Carlton.^[1] Rush used Francine Du Plessix Gray's 1998 biography At Home with the Marquis de Sade: A Life as a reference and had previously acted in a production of Marat/Sade.^[9]

• Kate Winslet as Madeleine “Maddy” LeClerc: Feisty laundress Madeleine is the romantic interest for both the Abbé and the Marquis. In love with the Abbé, who refuses to reciprocate, she is fascinated by the Marquis and his intelligence and experience. Screenwriter Doug Wright called Winslet the “patron saint” of the movie for being the first big name to back it,^[10] expressing interest as early as April 1999.^[11]

• Joaquin Phoenix as the Abbé du Coulmier: The Abbé du Coulmier is the well-loved administrator at Charenton asylum. A profoundly religious man, he treats his wards with kindness and allows them to express themselves artistically. Before settling on Joaquin Phoenix, casting directors considered Jude Law, Guy Pearce, and Billy Crudup for the role.^[12]

• Michael Caine as Doctor Royer-Collard: Sent by Napoleon to silence the Marquis, Royer-Collard is the traditionalist foil for the Abbé, though he proves as sadistic as the Marquis himself. Kaufman drew comparisons between Royer-Collard and Kenneth Starr, particularly the publication of de Sade's works at the Charenton Printing Press and the release of Starr's report online.^[1]

• Billie Whitelaw as Madame LeClerc: Madame LeClerc is Madeleine's blind mother, a long-time employee of the asylum, whose blindness resulted from long-time exposure to the lye of the laundry vats.

• Stephen Marcus as Bouchon: Bouchon is the inmate who molests Madeleine backstage during “The Crimes of Love” and ultimately kills her during the climax of the film.

• Amelia Warner as Simone: Simone is Dr. Royer-Collard's child bride who elopes with architect Prioux.

• Stephen Moyer as Prioux: A promising architect sent by Napoleon to renovate the Royer-Collard chateau, Prioux falls in love with Simone and runs away with her.

• Jane Menelaus as Renee Pelagie: Menelaus, Geoffrey Rush's real-life spouse, is Renee Pelagie, the Marquis de Sade's long-suffering wife.

• Patrick Malahide as Delbené: Napoleon's most trusted advisor, Delbené is responsible for sending Dr. Royer-Collard to Charenton.

• Elizabeth Berrington as Charlotte: A meddlesome chambermaid, Charlotte betrays Madeleine to Royer-Collard and eventually becomes his lover and assistant at the Charenton Printing Press.

• Tony Pritchard as Valcour: Charenton's prefect, Valcour performs much of the physical work necessary at the asylum.

• Michael Jenn as Cleante: Cleante is a madman who thinks he is a bird. He stars in “The Crimes of Love” in the Royer-Collard-inspired role of The Libertine and helps pass the Marquis' story to Madeleine later in the film.

Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Geoffrey Roy Rush (born 6 July 1951) is an Academy Award- and Emmy Award-winning Australian actor. ... Portrait of the Marquis de Sade by Charles-Amédée-Philippe van Loo (c. ... Philip Kaufman (born October 23, 1936) is a film director and screenwriter from Chicago, Illinois. ... The Persecution and Assassination of Jean-Paul Marat as Performed by the Inmates of the Asylum of Charenton Under the Direction of the Marquis de Sade, published in 1963, is a play by Peter Weiss, directed both on stage and screen by Peter Brook. ... Kate Elizabeth Winslet (born October 5, 1975) is a five time Academy Award-nominated Emmy Award-nominated BAFTA, Grammy and Screen Actors Guild Award winning English actress. ... Doug Wright is an award-winning American playwright, librettist, and screenplay writer. ... Joaquín Rafael Phoenix (pronounced IPA: ) (born October 28, 1974), formerly credited as Leaf Phoenix, is a two-time Academy Award-nominated, Golden Globe and Grammy Award-winning Puerto Rican-born American actor. ... Abbé François Simonet de Coulmier (b. ... David Jude Heyworth Law (born December 29, 1972) is an Academy Award-nominated English actor. ... Guy Pearce in Memento (2000). ... William Crudup (born July 8, 1968) is an American actor. ... Sir Maurice Joseph Micklewhite, Jr. ... Billie Whitelaw, CBE (b. ... Sodium hydroxide (NaOH), also known as lye or caustic soda or sodium hydrate, is a caustic metallic base. ... Amelia Warner (born June 4, 1982) is an English actress. ... Stephen Emery Moyer (born in 1969 in Brentwood, Essex) is an English actor. ... Jane Menelaus is an Australian actress. ... Patrick Malahide (born March 24, 1945) is an English actor, who has played many major film and television roles. ... Elizabeth Berrington (Born in Wallasey, Cheshire) is a British actress who has featured in many popular British television series such as The Bill, Casualty and Rose and Maloney. ...

Music

Critical reception

The Quills soundtrack was released by RCA Victor on November 21, 2000 featuring the music of Oscar-winning composer Stephen Warbeck (Shakespeare in Love). Featuring experimental instrumentation by The Quills Specialist Band^[13] on such instruments as the serpent, shawm, and bucket,^[14] most reviewers were intrigued by the unconventional and thematic score. Cinemusic.net reviewer Ryan Keaveney called the album a “macabre masterpiece,” with an “addicting and mesmerizing” sound.^[15] Urban Cinephile contributor Brad Green described the album as a “hedonistic pleasure” that “captures the spirit of an incorrigible, perverse genius.”^[14] Soundtrack.net's Glenn McClanan disliked the “lack of unifying unified themes and motifs” that may have served each individual scene, but made the film feel “incoherent.”^[16] Sony BMG Music Entertainment is the result of a 50/50 joint venture between Sony Music Entertainment (part of Sony) and BMG Entertainment (part of Bertelsmann AG) completed in August 2004. ... is the 325th day of the year (326th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The 71st Academy Awards ceremony was the last to take place at Los Angeles County Music Center, and was Whoopi Goldbergs third time hosting the Awards. ... Stephen Warbeck (born 1948) is a British composer, best known for his film and television scores. ... Shakespeare in Love is an award-winning 1998 romantic comedy film. ... A serpent is a bass wind instrument with a mouthpiece like a brass instrument but side holes like a woodwind instrument. ... The shawm was a Renaissance musical instrument of the woodwind family, made in Europe from the late 13th century until the 17th century. ... A mute is a device which alters the timbre and/or reduces the volume of a musical instrument. ...

Au Clair de la Lune

Though not included on the soundtrack, the opening notes of "Au Clair de la Lune," a traditional French children's song, recur throughout the film, usually hummed by the Marquis. The English translation provides some illumination as to its selection as a theme for the Marquis: Au Clair de la Lune may refer to: Au Clair de la Lune (song), a French folk song Au clair de la lune (film), a Canadian film directed by André Forcier Au clair de la lune ou Pierrot malheureux, A French short film directed by Georges Méliès Clair...

At thy door I'm knocking by the pale moonlight
Lend a pen I pray thee, I've a word to write
Guttered is my candle, burns my fire no more
For the love of heaven, open now the door

Pierrot cried in answer by the pale moonlight
"In my bed I'm lying, late and chill the night
Yonder at my neighbor's, someone is astir
Fire is freshly kindled - get a light from her."

To the neighbor's house then by the pale moonlight
Goes our gentle Lubin to beg a pen to write
"Who knocks there so softly?" Calls a voice above
"Open wide your door now, 'tis the god of love"

Seek they pen and candle in the pale moonlight
They can see so little, dark is now the night
What they find in seeking, that is not revealed
All behind her door is carefully concealed

Image File history File links Au_clair_de_la_lune_mode_do. ... Software development stages In computer programming, development stage terminology expresses how the development of a piece of software has progressed and how much further development it may require. ...

– Anonymous^[17]

Track listing

1. "The Marquis and the Scaffold" – 3:08
2. "The Abbe and Madeleine" – 2:19
3. "The Convent" – 2:22
4. "Plans for a Burial" – 1:18
5. "Dream of Madeleine” – 4:42
6. "Royer-Collard and Bouchon" – 4:15
7. "Aphrodisiac" – 2:59
8. "The Last Story" – 7:35
9. "The Marquis' Cell at Charenton" – 4:38
10. "The End: A New Manuscript" – 7:32
11. "The Printing Press" – 2:22

Reaction

Critical reception

Reviews were generally positive, with extravagant praise heaped on Rush. Elvis Mitchell of the New York Times complimented the “euphoric stylishness” of Kaufman's direction and Geoffrey Rush's “gleeful...flamboyant” performance.^[18] Peter Travers for Rolling Stone raved about the “exceptional” actors, particularly Geoffrey Rush's “scandalously good” performance as the Marquis, populating a film that is “literate, erotic, and spoiling to be heard.”^[19] Stephanie Zacharek of Salon.com enthused over the “delectable and ultimately terrifying fantasy” of Quills, with Rush as “sun king,” enriched by a “luminous” supporting cast.^[20] Film criticism is the analysis and evaluation of films, individually and collectively. ... Elvis Mitchell is a former film critic for the newspaper The New York Times. ... The New York Times is a daily newspaper published in New York City by Arthur Ochs Sulzberger Jr. ... Peter Travers is the film critic for Rolling Stone magazine. ... This article is about the magazine. ... Salon. ...

The film was not without its detractors, including Richard Schickel of TIME Magazine, who decried director Philip Kaufman's approach as “brutally horrific, vulgarly unamusing,” creating a film that succeeds only as “soft-gore porn.”^[21] Eleanor Ringel Gillespie of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution concurred, finding Quills “shrill, pretentious, sophomoric and often just plain dumb.”^[22] Kenneth Turan of the Los Angeles Times dismissed the film as an “overripe contrivance masquerading as high art."^[23], while de Sade biographer Neil Schaeffer in the The Guardian criticized the film for historical inaccuracies and for simplifying de Sade's complex life (see below).^[24] Richard Warren Schickel (b. ... Time (whose trademark is capitalized TIME) is a weekly American newsmagazine, similar to Newsweek and U.S. News & World Report. ... The Atlanta Journal-Constitution is the only major daily newspaper of Atlanta and metro Atlanta. ... Kenneth Turan is an American film critic, currently writing for the Los Angeles Times. ... This just IN !!!:paris hiltons new dog. ... The Guardian is a British newspaper owned by the Guardian Media Group. ...

Box office performance

Distributed by Fox Searchlight Pictures in 2000, Quills premiered in the United States at the Telluride Film Festival on September 2, 2000. It was given a limited release on November 22, 2000, with a wider release following on December 15, 2000. The film earned $249,383 its opening weekend in nine theaters,^[25] totaling $7,065,332 domestically and $10,923,895 internationally, for a total of $17,989,227.^[26] Fox Searchlight Pictures is the specialty films division of Twentieth Century Fox. ... 32nd Poster, by Dave McKean The Telluride Film Festival was started in 1974 by Bill and Stella Pence, Tom Luddy and Jim Card in the town of Telluride, Colorado. ... September 2 is the 245th day of the year (246th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Limited release is a term in the American motion picture industry for a motion picture that is playing in a select few theaters across the country (typically in cities such as New York and Los Angeles). ... is the 326th day of the year (327th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 349th day of the year (350th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Awards

Quills received three Oscar nominations at the 73rd Annual Academy Awards for Actor in a Leading Role (Geoffrey Rush, previous winner for the 1996 movie Shine), Art Direction (Art: Martin Childs, Sets: Jill Quertier), and Costume Design (Jacqueline West).^[27] The film was also nominated by the Hollywood Foreign Press, organizers of the Golden Globes, for Best Actor in a Drama (Geoffrey Rush) and Best Screenplay (Douglas Wright).^[28] The National Board of Review selected Quills as its Best Film of 2000.^[29] The 73rd Academy Awards ceremony was the last to take place at the Los Angeles Shrine Auditorium. ... The Academy Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role is one of the awards given to actors working in the motion picture industry by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences; nominations are made by Academy members who are actors and actresses. ... Geoffrey Roy Rush (born 6 July 1951) is an Academy Award- and Emmy Award-winning Australian actor. ... Shine is a 1996 Australian film based on the life of pianist David Helfgott, who suffered a mental breakdown and spent years in institutions. ... The Academy Awards are the oldest awards ceremony for achievements in motion pictures. ... This Academy Award was first given for movies made in 1948 when separate awards were given for black-and-white and color movies. ... Logo of the HFPA Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) is an organization comprised of journalists who cover the United States film industry, but are affiliated with publications outside North America. ... The Golden Globe Awards are American awards for motion pictures and television programs, given out each year during a formal dinner. ... The Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Motion Picture - Drama was first awarded by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association as a separate category in 1951. ... Geoffrey Roy Rush (born 6 July 1951) is an Academy Award- and Emmy Award-winning Australian actor. ... For the main article see Golden Globe Awards. ... Doug Wright is an award-winning American playwright, librettist, and screenplay writer. ... The National Board of Review of Motion Pictures was founded in 1909 in New York City, just 13 years after the birth of cinema, to protest New York City Mayor George McClennans revocation of moving-picture exhibition licenses on Christmas Eve 1908. ... The National Board of Review Award for Best Film is one of the awards given to either the director or producer of a film by the American National Board of Review. ...

DVD and other releases

Quills was released on NTSC VHS and Region 1 DVD on May 8, 2001, with PAL VHS and Region 2 DVD to follow on October 29, 2001. The DVD contains a feature-long commentary track by screenwriter/playwright Doug Wright and three featurettes: “Marquis on Marquee,” “Creating Charenton,” and “Dressing the Part.” Also included are the theatrical trailer, a television spot, a photo gallery, a music promotional spot, and a feature called “Fact & Film: Historical and Production Information.” The references in this article would be clearer with a different and/or consistent style of citation, footnoting or external linking. ... Bottom view of VHS cassette with magnetic tape exposed Top view of VHS cassette with front casing removed The Video Home System, better known by its abbreviation VHS is a recording and playing standard for analog video cassette recorders (VCRs), developed by Victor Company of Japan, Limited (JVC) and launched... DVD Regions Each DVD-Video disc contains one or more region codes, denoting the area(s) of the world in which distribution and playback are intended. ... Size comparison: A 12 cm Sony DVD+RW and a 19 cm Dixon Ticonderoga pencil. ... is the 128th day of the year (129th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday (link displays the 2001 Gregorian calendar). ... Television encoding systems by nation. ... DVD Regions Each DVD-Video disc contains one or more region codes, denoting the area(s) of the world in which distribution and playback are intended. ... is the 302nd day of the year (303rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday (link displays the 2001 Gregorian calendar). ... Doug Wright is an award-winning American playwright, librettist, and screenplay writer. ...

Historical inaccuracy

Neil Schaeffer, whose The Marquis de Sade: A Life^[30] had been used by Director Philip Kaufman as reference^[1], in a review published in The Guardian criticized the film for historical inaccuracies and for simplifying de Sade's complex life.^[24] The Guardian is a British newspaper owned by the Guardian Media Group. ...

Schaeffer especially criticized the depiction of the de Sade as a "martyr to the oppression and censorship of church and state" and the films' sacrificing facts to "to a surreal and didactic conclusion that has no connection with the truth, and is probably overwrought even as a twist of a fictional plot", namely that "the seemingly good people are all bad underneath, are all hypocrites, while the seemingly bad person, De Sade, probably has some redeeming qualities".^[24]

Schaeffer detailed a number of disparities between fact and film:

Schaeffer relates that de Sade's initial incarceration "had nothing to do with his writing" but with sexual scandals involving servants, prostitutes and his sister-in-law. He also criticized the opening scene's implication that the reign of terror caused the "sanguinary streak" of de Sade's writing, when "his bloodiest and best work, 120 Days of Sodom, was written in the Bastille - obviously before the revolution" and not at Charenton, as suggested by the film. In contrast to the film, the historical de Sade was "not at the height of his literary career nor of his literary powers" while at Charenton, nor did he "the tall, trim figure of the Australian actor Geoffrey Rush" but was of middling height and, at the time, of "a considerable, even a grotesque, obesity".^[24]

The manuscripts smuggled out of the asylum were not the novel Justine,, which features prominently in the film but was published thirteen years before de Sade's incarceration at the asylum. De Sade's smuggled works were not particularly outrageous, mostly consisting of conventional novels and a number of plays he worked on throughout his life in hopes of having them performed. Most of these were soundly rejected by publishers. De Sade was, in fact, involved in the theater productions at Charenton, though none like the play featured in Quills. The plays performed were popular, conventional Parisian dramas.^[31] The government shut the Charenton theater down on May 6, 1813 - years before Dr. Royer-Collard's had any influence at Charenton.^[24][32] Justine (or The Misfortunes of Virtue, or several other titles: see below) is a classical erotic novel by Donatien Alphonse François de Sade, better known as the Marquis de Sade. ...

Schaeffer criticized also the film's treatment of Sade's personal relations regarding his wife (who had formally separated from him after the revolution), the chambermaid (which did not serve as a liason to a publisher but with whom he had a sexual relationship from her early teens until shortly before his death) and his "companion of many years", who had a room at Charenton (and actually smuggled out the manuscripts) but is ignored by the film. Furthermore, "De Sade's hideous death in the movie is nothing like the truth, for he died in his sleep, in his 74th year, as peacefully as any good Christian".^[24][32]

Schaeffer argues that the main point of De Sade's life and writing was not, "as movie-makers and reviewers alike seem to think [...] to oppose censorship" but "to push the limits - sexual, spiritual, and political - as a means of feeling out the limits of his times and of his own mind." Schaeffer criticized that the film "simplifies De Sade into a modern "victim" and over-emphasises his potential as a focus for liberal-political meanings when, in fact, his life and perhaps his literary intentions - if you think of him as a satirist - can be seen as an object lesson, warning against the excesses of cultural relativism and nihilism; a very modern lesson, it would seem."^[24]

Schaeffer advised the viewer to distinguish between de Sade and the protagonist of the film: "To see if Quills is valid in its own terms, let the viewer imagine it is about someone else, let us say the Marquis de Newcastle, and that the scene is Bedlam and then see if the movie makes any sense."^[24]

References

2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 334th day of the year (335th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 86th day of the year (87th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 349th day of the year (350th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... March 31 is the 90th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (91st in leap years), with 275 days remaining. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 84th day of the year (85th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 94th day of the year (95th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 100th day of the year (101st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 334th day of the year (335th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 86th day of the year (87th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 362nd day of the year (363rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 86th day of the year (87th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1999 (MCMXCIX) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1999 Gregorian calendar). ... is the 106th day of the year (107th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 86th day of the year (87th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... March 21 is the 80th day of the year (81st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 100th day of the year (101st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... March 21 is the 80th day of the year (81st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 81st day of the year (82nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 81st day of the year (82nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... March 21 is the 80th day of the year (81st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 326th day of the year (327th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 77th day of the year (78th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... December 10 is the 344th day (345th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar, 21 days before the next year. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 77th day of the year (78th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 326th day of the year (327th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 77th day of the year (78th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 331st day of the year (332nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 77th day of the year (78th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 77th day of the year (78th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 326th day of the year (327th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 77th day of the year (78th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... The Guardian is a British newspaper owned by the Guardian Media Group. ... Year 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday (link displays the 2001 Gregorian calendar). ... January 13 is the 13th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 91st day of the year (92nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 77th day of the year (78th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 77th day of the year (78th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 77th day of the year (78th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 77th day of the year (78th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 77th day of the year (78th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 93rd day of the year (94th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1963 (MCMLXIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1967 (MCMLXVII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the 1967 Gregorian calendar. ... The Persecution and Assassination of Jean-Paul Marat as Performed by the Inmates of the Asylum of Charenton Under the Direction of the Marquis de Sade, published in 1963, is a play by Peter Weiss, directed both on stage and screen by Peter Brook. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 100th day of the year (101st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 93rd day of the year (94th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to:

Quills

• Official Quills site at Fox Searchlight Pictures
• Quills at the Open Directory Project
• Quills at the Internet Movie Database
• Quills at All Movie Guide
• Quills at Rotten Tomatoes