Love Is the Devil: Study for a Portrait of Francis Bacon is a 1998 film produced by The British Film Institute and BBC Film. It was written and directed by John Maybury and stars Derek Jacobi, Daniel Craig and Tilda Swinton. A fictional biography of painter Francis Bacon (Jacobi), it concentrates on his strained relationship with George Dyer (Craig), a small-time thief. The film draws heavily on the authorised biography of Bacon, The Gilded Gutter Life of Francis Bacon by Daniel Farson, and is dedicated to him.
It won three awards at the Edinburgh International Film Festival: Best New British Feature (director John Maybury) and two Best British Performance awards, one for Jacobi and the other for future James Bond actor Craig. The film was also screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 1998 Cannes Film Festival. Craig's performance was well received by critics, acknowledging it as his breakthrough role.
Cast
Derek Jacobi – Francis Bacon
Daniel Craig – George Dyer
Tilda Swinton – Muriel Belcher
Anne Lambton – Isabel Rawsthorne
Adrian Scarborough – Daniel Farson
Karl Johnson – John Deakin
Annabel Brooks – Henrietta Moraes
Richard Newbould – Blond Billy (as Richard Newbold) Ariel de Ravenel – French Official Tallulah – Ian Board Andy Linden – Ken Bidwell David Kennedy – Joe Furneval Gary Hume – Volker Dix Damian Dibben – Brighton Rent Boy Antony Cotton – Brighton Rent Boy Hamish Bowles – David Hockney Martin Meister - Person in Brighton Pub
Release
Love Is the Devil was released theatrically by Artificial Eye on 18 September 1998 in the UK and grossed £259,421 ($0.4 million). It was released in the United States on 7 October 1998 and grossed $354,004, for a worldwide total in excess of $0.8 million.
The film was first broadcast on BBC Two on 26 March 2000.
References
External links
Roger Ebert review
1998 television films
1998 films
British television films
British biographical films
Francis Bacon (artist) Films directed by John Maybury Biographical films about painters Films scored by Ryuichi Sakamoto 1990s British films British LGBT-related television films BDSM in films 1998 LGBT-related films