Revengers Tragedy
Encyclopedia
Revengers Tragedy is a film adaptation of the 1606 play The Revenger's Tragedy
(attributed to Thomas Middleton
in the credits, following the current scholarly consensus). It was directed by Alex Cox
and adapted for the screen by Cox's fellow Liverpudlian, Frank Cottrell Boyce
. The film stars Christopher Eccleston
as the revenge-obsessed Vindice, with Derek Jacobi
as the evil Duke, Eddie Izzard
as his lecherous son Lussurioso, Diana Quick
as the Duchess, Andrew Schofield
as Vindice's brother Carlo (a version of the play's Hippolito), Carla Henry
as his virtuous sister Castiza, and Marc Warren
and Justin Salinger
as the Duchess's sons Supervacuo and Ambitioso.
The original play is set in a depraved Italian court, but Cottrell Boyce's screenplay relocates it to a futuristic version of Liverpool
in the year 2011, following the aftermath of a natural disaster
which has destroyed the southern half of Great Britain
. The city is a dystopia
in which society is collapsing and where vendetta
s and the crude exercise of power are the norm. Jacobi's Duke is the most powerful crime lord in the city. Cottrell Boyce's script rearranges the play heavily and mixes the original Jacobean language with modern language.
Revengers Tragedy was shot and edited in Liverpool
with an almost entirely local crew, including cinematographer
Len Gowing, costumer Monica Aslanian, makeup designer Lesley Brennan and assistant director Kim Ryan. Cox's usual production designer
, Cecilia Montiel
prepared a visual strategy which was executed by her co-designer Remi Vaughan-Richards. The producers were Margaret Matheson (who executive produced Cox's Sid and Nancy
for Zenith) and Tod Davies
(Cox's wife, who also wrote and produced Cox's Three Businessmen
).
The movie's soundtrack of the same name
was written and performed by Chumbawamba
. In 2003, it was released by the band on their independent record label, MUTT.
Variety's Deborah Young described the film as "ambitious, sometimes exhilarating but ultimately not very new attempt to unleash the power of great literature past by punking it up." The Time Out Film Guide said "The stylistic intention, presumably, was old meets new with a Luhrmann
-like flourish, but the modest resources on display result in a look somewhere between threadbare Jarman and school play. One struggles to be impressed."
The Revenger's Tragedy
The Revenger's Tragedy is an English language Jacobean revenge tragedy, in the past attributed to Cyril Tourneur but is sometimes considered to be the work of Thomas Middleton by "Middletonians"...
(attributed to Thomas Middleton
Thomas Middleton
Thomas Middleton was an English Jacobean playwright and poet. Middleton stands with John Fletcher and Ben Jonson as among the most successful and prolific of playwrights who wrote their best plays during the Jacobean period. He was one of the few Renaissance dramatists to achieve equal success in...
in the credits, following the current scholarly consensus). It was directed by Alex Cox
Alex Cox
Alexander Cox is a British film director, screenwriter, nonfiction author and sometime actor, notable for his idiosyncratic style and approach to scripts...
and adapted for the screen by Cox's fellow Liverpudlian, Frank Cottrell Boyce
Frank Cottrell Boyce
-Awards:*2004: Buch des Monats des Instituts für Jugendliteratur/Book of the Month by the Institute for Youth Literature , Millions*2004: Carnegie Medal, Millions*2004: Luchs des Jahres , Millions...
. The film stars Christopher Eccleston
Christopher Eccleston
Christopher Eccleston is an English stage, film and television actor. His films include Let Him Have It, Shallow Grave, Elizabeth, 28 Days Later, Gone in 60 Seconds, The Others, and G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra...
as the revenge-obsessed Vindice, with Derek Jacobi
Derek Jacobi
Sir Derek George Jacobi, CBE is an English actor and film director.A "forceful, commanding stage presence", Jacobi has enjoyed a highly successful stage career, appearing in such stage productions as Hamlet, Uncle Vanya, and Oedipus the King. He received a Tony Award for his performance in...
as the evil Duke, Eddie Izzard
Eddie Izzard
Edward John "Eddie" Izzard is a British stand-up comedian and actor. His comedy style takes the form of rambling, whimsical monologue and self-referential pantomime...
as his lecherous son Lussurioso, Diana Quick
Diana Quick
-Life:Quick was born in London, England. She grew up in Dartford, Kent, the third of a dentist's four children. She was educated at Dartford Grammar School for Girls, Kent. She was greatly aided by her English teacher, Miss Davis, who encouraged her to pursue acting...
as the Duchess, Andrew Schofield
Andrew Schofield
-Early life:Born in Kirkby, Merseyside, Schofield attended St Kevin's RC Comprehensive School. At 15 he was cast in Willy Russell's first Play for Today, Death of a Young, Young Man.-Stage:...
as Vindice's brother Carlo (a version of the play's Hippolito), Carla Henry
Carla Henry
Carla Henry is a British actress, most famous for her role as Donna in Queer As Folk.Her performances in the stage productions such as Storm and Habitat and On the Shore of the Wide World have seen her tackle a wide variety of roles...
as his virtuous sister Castiza, and Marc Warren
Marc Warren
Marc Warren is an English actor, known for his British television roles as Danny Blue in Hustle, Dougie Raymond in The Vice and Dominic Foy in State of Play.-Career:...
and Justin Salinger
Justin Salinger
Justin Salinger is a British actor, notable for work including Revengers Tragedy , Hitler: The Rise of Evil and Beau Brummell: This Charming Man and the stage play Modern Dance for Beginners. He graduated from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in 1996.-References:...
as the Duchess's sons Supervacuo and Ambitioso.
The original play is set in a depraved Italian court, but Cottrell Boyce's screenplay relocates it to a futuristic version of Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
in the year 2011, following the aftermath of a natural disaster
Natural disaster
A natural disaster is the effect of a natural hazard . It leads to financial, environmental or human losses...
which has destroyed the southern half of Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
. The city is a dystopia
Dystopia
A dystopia is the idea of a society in a repressive and controlled state, often under the guise of being utopian, as characterized in books like Brave New World and Nineteen Eighty-Four...
in which society is collapsing and where vendetta
Vendetta
Vendetta may refer to:*Feud, a long-running argument or fight between parties-Film and television:* Vendetta, a 1919 German film featuring Harry Liedtke* Vendetta , an American drama produced by Howard Hughes...
s and the crude exercise of power are the norm. Jacobi's Duke is the most powerful crime lord in the city. Cottrell Boyce's script rearranges the play heavily and mixes the original Jacobean language with modern language.
Revengers Tragedy was shot and edited in Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
with an almost entirely local crew, including cinematographer
Cinematographer
A cinematographer is one photographing with a motion picture camera . The title is generally equivalent to director of photography , used to designate a chief over the camera and lighting crews working on a film, responsible for achieving artistic and technical decisions related to the image...
Len Gowing, costumer Monica Aslanian, makeup designer Lesley Brennan and assistant director Kim Ryan. Cox's usual production designer
Production designer
In film and television, a production designer is the person responsible for the overall look of a filmed event such as films, TV programs, music videos or adverts. Production designers have one of the key creative roles in the creation of motion pictures and television. Working directly with the...
, Cecilia Montiel
Cecilia Montiel
Cecilia Montiel is a production designer of feature films.Montiel studied architecture and moved to Los Angeles in 1978, where she was a contemporary of Lorenzo O'Brien and Alex Cox....
prepared a visual strategy which was executed by her co-designer Remi Vaughan-Richards. The producers were Margaret Matheson (who executive produced Cox's Sid and Nancy
Sid and Nancy
Sid and Nancy is a 1986 British biopic directed by Alex Cox. The film portrays the life of Sid Vicious , bassist of the seminal punk rock band the Sex Pistols, and his relationship with girlfriend Nancy Spungen .-Plot:The film opens with several police officers dragging Sid Vicious out of the Hotel...
for Zenith) and Tod Davies
Tod Davies
Tod Davies where she attended Convent of the Sacred Heart High School located on Broadway St. and is a writer, publisher and producer...
(Cox's wife, who also wrote and produced Cox's Three Businessmen
Three Businessmen
Three Businessmen is a film made in 1998. It is a British-Dutch-Spanish-Japanese coproduction directed by Alex Cox. The screenplay is by Tod Davies, who was also the producer....
).
The movie's soundtrack of the same name
Revengers Tragedy (album)
Revengers Tragedy is a 2003 album by Chumbawamba which served as the soundtrack to the 2003 film adaptation of the 1606 play The Revenger's Tragedy.-Track listing:All songs written and produced by Chumbawamba# Liverpool: Drive with Care - 5:13...
was written and performed by Chumbawamba
Chumbawamba
Chumbawamba is a British musical group who have, over a career spanning nearly three decades, played punk rock, pop-influenced music, world music, and folk music...
. In 2003, it was released by the band on their independent record label, MUTT.
Reception
BBC's Jamie Russell gave the film 3/5 stars, stating "It exaggerates the play's confused identities, deliberate miscommunications, and sarcastic asides into an overblown exercise in outright camp." The review further states that the film's messages are "ultimately let down by the film's rough edges", and contains "moments that are painfully amateurish, "Revengers Tragedy" ultimately annoys as much as it exhilarates."Variety's Deborah Young described the film as "ambitious, sometimes exhilarating but ultimately not very new attempt to unleash the power of great literature past by punking it up." The Time Out Film Guide said "The stylistic intention, presumably, was old meets new with a Luhrmann
Baz Luhrmann
Mark Anthony "Baz" Luhrmann is an Australian film director, screenwriter, and producer best known for The Red Curtain Trilogy, which includes his films Strictly Ballroom, William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet and Moulin Rouge!...
-like flourish, but the modest resources on display result in a look somewhere between threadbare Jarman and school play. One struggles to be impressed."