The Tempest

The Tempest (1979)

“We are such stuff as dreams are made on and our little life is rounded with a sleep.”

Prospero, a potent magician, lives on a desolate isle with his virginal daughter, Miranda. He's in exile, banished from his duchy by his usurping brother and the King of Naples. Providence brings these enemies near; aided by his vassal the spirit Ariel, Prospero conjures a tempest to wreck the Italian ship. The king's son, thinking all others lost, becomes Prospero's prisoner, falling in love with Miranda and she with him. Prospero's brother and the king wander the island, as do a drunken cook and sailor, who conspire with Caliban, Prospero's beastly slave, to murder Prospero. Prospero wants reason to triumph, Ariel wants his freedom, Miranda a husband; the sailors want to dance.

Date of release
1979-09-13
TMDB
5.8 / 10 (27)
Runtime
1h 35m
Genres
Drama, Fantasy
Director
Derek Jarman

Casting

Interesting facts

The Tempest is a 1979 film adaptation of William Shakespeare's play of the same name. Directed by Derek Jarman, produced by Don Boyd, with Heathcote Williams as Prospero, it also stars Toyah Willcox, Jack Birkett, Karl Johnson and Helen Wellington-Lloyd from Jarman's previous feature, Jubilee (1977).

Production

Jarman had been working on adapting The Tempest for several years before filming began, working on an adaptation for the stage before settling on a film adaptation. He was attracted to Shakespeare's original play due to the themes of forgiveness he saw throughout the text.

The movie was part of a slate of films worth £3 million in all produced by Don Boyd.

The film was shot inside Stoneleigh Abbey, Warwickshire. Jarman chose the location due to budget constraints, as the abbey created the atmosphere he wanted without needing access to an expansive or exotic set.

The costuming draws on the styles of multiple eras, meant to serve as "a chronology of 350 years of the play's existence, like the patina on old bronze." The combination of styles is made to reference the production history of the play as well as draw on modern aesthetics familiar to 20th century audiences.

In his production notes, Jarman states that he took stylistic inspiration from films such as Rosemary's Baby (1968) and films produced by Hammer Film Productions.

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