This movie is not for the faint of heart. It is graphic and dark, but thoughtful and provoking as well.
Johnny Depp plays John Wilmot, the second Earl of Rochester. He was a famous Libertine who wrote plays and poems that mainly dealt with sexuality. Like all libertines, he was adamant against religion and pursued every freedom.
I felt like his character was portrayed remarkably well. The monologue at the beginning is wonderful. He states that we will not like him, leading one to think that either he doesn't want us to or doesn't care. If you watch the film however, a different view is portrayed. John Wilmot is a tragic figure. He is called a cynic when in fact, he wants to be romantic. He believes the world is a terrible place but he wants it to be more. He pours himself into love, lust, drinking, writing, and the theatre in an attempt to feel.
In the film, he falls in love with an actress but their love is not meant to be. We see him later on, dying of Syphilis. His love abandons him and he is left to die, after only just learning to appreciate life. He had finally learned how to feel, to love, and had found something beautiful only for the world to prove his original viewpoint correct. He was left alone by a cold and unforgiving world.
I thought this film was interesting in that it demonstrated the dark side of philosophy. John states that he has to talk because the things in his mind are more interesting than the things going on outside of it. He thinks so much that he overanalyzes the world. He can enjoy no innocent pleasure in anything and he hates it. At one point in the movie he states, "I never want to think again."
We always talk about philosophers and writers making an impact on the world. We hold mental strength, analyzation, and creativity in high regard, but what of the cost? John fell victim to the darkness within his own mind. His thoughts turned against him and his romantic heart was taken over by cynicism. It was his mind that killed him.
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