THE ANGELIC CONVERSATION - DVD

THE ANGELIC CONVERSATION
A film by Derek Jarman

Intense, dreamlike, and, poetic, The Angelic Conversation is one of the most artistic of Derek Jarman's films. With his painter's eye Jarman conjured, in a beautiful palette of light, colour and texture, an evocative and radical visualisation of Shakespeare's love poems

Of the 154 sonnets written by Shakespeare, most were written to an unnamed young man, commonly referred to as the Fair Youth. Here Judi Dench's emotive readings of 14 sonnets are coupled with ethereal sequences; figures on seashores, by streams and in colourful gardens. The disruption of these magical scenes with images of barren and threatening landscapes echoes perfectly the celebration and torment of love explored in the sonnets.

Shot on Super-8 before being transferred to 35mm, the unique technical approach results in a striking aesthetic, with Coil's languorous soundtrack completing the intoxicating effect.

DVD extras

• Specially commissioned interviews with producer James Mackay and production designer Christopher Hobbs
• Derek Jarman in conversation withy Simon Field (1989, 32 mins)
• Stills gallery
• Fully illustrated booklet including introductory essay by Colin MacCabe, Tilda Swinton's testimonial letter to Derek Jarman and photographs taken during the making of the film

UK | 1985 | colour | optional hard-of-hearing subtitles | 78 minutes | Ratio 1.33:1 | Region 2 DVD