Fresh
"Quills" is sensational in every sense of the word.
Jeremy Gerard, Variety
Quills
Meet the Marquis de Sade. The pleasure is all his.
2000 · 2h 4m · R
Drama
Directed by
Philip Kaufman
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Quills
Overview
In early 19th-century France, the Marquis de Sade is confined to an asylum where his forbidden writings continue to circulate beyond its walls. As the authorities tighten control, a clash unfolds between the Marquis’ unyielding imagination, the reformist ideals of the Abbé in charge, and the repressive measures of a doctor sent to silence him. Desire, power, and censorship collide in a battle over freedom of expression.
Director and cast
- Philip Kaufman Director
- Geoffrey Rush as The Marquis de Sade
- Kate Winslet as Madeleine 'Maddy' LeClerc
- Joaquin Phoenix as The Abbe du Coulmier
- Michael Caine as Dr. Royer-Collard
- Billie Whitelaw as Madame LeClerc
- Patrick Malahide as Delbené
- Amelia Warner as Simone
- Jane Menelaus Cast
- Stephen Moyer Cast
- Tony Pritchard Cast
Critics on Rotten Tomatoes
Top critics, in their words
75%
Tomatometer
Fresh
It pokes at sexual taboos - it's pretty subversive, considering - but sexuality and creativity are indelibly linked, and its true subject is expression, repression and catharsis.
Derek Adams, Time Out
Fresh
Quills, about the marquis de Sade, is a voluptuous impasto. Everything in it -- the colors, the locations, the people -- seems swirled with a mixture of decadence and grace.
Peter Rainer, New York Magazine/Vulture
Rotten
More heavy-handed than memorable.
Desmond Ryan, Philadelphia Inquirer
Fresh
A marvelous, saucy romp.
Rene Rodriguez, Miami Herald
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