Derek Jarman’s exquisite, bold, and brave drama, starring Steven Waddington and Andrew Tiernan, is bathed in homoerotic visuals as Jarman takes us down an unconventional narrative path.
Was Edward II gay? There is almost no way for us to answer that question with any certainty; after all, our modern labels of sexual orientation didn’t even exist in 1307. However, Edward did have an intense, close relationship with Piers Gaveston and a far less intimate one with his wife, who would depose him.
It’s clear that Edward I felt the need to banish Gaveston to France in 1306, despite Piers and Edward having been ‘very’ close friends since boyhood. Of course, Edward II reversed this decision as soon as he was crowned.
Derek Jarman’s exquisite, bold, and brave drama, starring Steven Waddington and Andrew Tiernan, is bathed in homoerotic visuals as Jarman takes us down an unconventional narrative path. Jarman uses Edward’s story to explore the homophobia and alienation still rife in Britain at the start of the ’90s: just look at how Gaveston is strangled by a modern-looking policeman with a baton.
As a result, while the narrative may be historical, Jarman suggests that Edward’s story would unfold similarly in 1990s Britain, rendering it a cutting and challenging work of cinematic art.
Follow Us