Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Moderate
- provocative
- sensual
- melancholic
- art house viewing
- historical cinema night
What critics said
Critics broadly praised the film's striking chiaroscuro and imaginative craftsmanship while remaining divided over its anachronisms, historical liberties, and unconventional dramatic structure.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Jarman inserts modern objects, language, and attitudes into Caravaggio's seventeenth-century world while fictionalizing aspects of the painter's life.
The film foregrounds Caravaggio's dramatic light-dark contrasts through sculptural tableaux and carefully composed interiors.
Caravaggio's relationships with Ranuccio and Lena are intertwined with his identity, artistic practice, and social danger.
The film's papal Italy is rendered through period imagery mixed with deliberately modern details and sensibilities.
Films like Caravaggio, and why
Basquiat
painterly historical biopic with queer themes, stylized anachronism, and an intensely artistic visual approach
Andrei Rublev
provocative artist biopic emphasizing sexuality, scandal, and a distinctive director's visual style over conventional historical realism
The Devils
stylized queer historical drama combining sensuality, violence, and theatrical visual composition
Frida
artist-centered period drama with bold visual design and tension between artistic creation and personal excess
Movie Details
- Director
- Derek Jarman
- Release Date
- 1986-08-29
- Runtime
- 93 min
- Rating
- 6.1 / 10 (164)
Cast
- Nigel Terry
- Sean Bean
- Garry Cooper
- Dexter Fletcher
- Spencer Leigh
- Tilda Swinton
- Nigel Davenport
- Robbie Coltrane
- Michael Gough
- Noam Almaz
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Kino Film Collection, BFI Player Amazon Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Caravaggio about?
- Derek Jarman's provocative portrait of Caravaggio turns a painter's erotic life and violent passions into a luminous, deliberately anachronistic historical tableau.
- What is Caravaggio like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Caravaggio as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Caravaggio violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in Caravaggio as moderate.
- What did critics think of Caravaggio?
- Critics broadly praised the film's striking chiaroscuro and imaginative craftsmanship while remaining divided over its anachronisms, historical liberties, and unconventional dramatic structure.
- Which films are like Caravaggio?
- Films with a similar feel include Basquiat, Andrei Rublev, The Devils, and Frida.
- How long is Caravaggio?
- Caravaggio runs 93 minutes.
- Where can I watch Caravaggio?
- In United States, Caravaggio streams on Kino Film Collection, BFI Player Amazon Channel.
