Depp casts a spell

by RICHARD JONES

JOHNNY Depp fans won't be disappointed with his portrayal of the dissolute real-life Earl of Rochester in Laurence Dunmore's film The Libertine.

It's set in the licentious 17th century around the period of the Restoration - the era when Charles II had just been returned to the English throne following the Cromwellian Republic experiment.

John Wilmot the second Earl of Rochester (1647-1680) has the ear of King Charles played by John Malkovich and champions his love of liberty to the monarch.

Rochester has a wife Elizabeth Malet (Rosamund Pike), but also has a prostitute mistress Jane (Kelly Reilly).

Add to this menage a trois his burgeoning love for actress Elizabeth Barry (Samantha Morton) and you'll start to piece together Rochester's wild, debauched life.

As a poet and a writer he does have a love for the stage, though, for it was during the Restoration period that many English theatres closed by Cromwell's Puritans were re-opened and sexuality was more freely expressed.

We follow Rochester through bars, brothels and beds as he emerges from nights of drinking only to stumble once more to the nearest bordello.

Through all this, now that women are allowed back on stage, Elizabeth Barry becomes Rochester's protege. He gives her virtually free rein until he foolishly writes a play which lampoons his King.

Considering it was Charles who commissioned the play in the first place, it was an unwise career move by Rochester. Not only does the play lampoon the king, it does so in bawdy style.

The Earl falls from grace (and once a titled person was banished from court it was extremely hard to gain a recall) and ultimately dies from syphilis at the age of 33 during this banishment.

The venereal disease ate away at his skin. Indeed, so bad was the disfigurement that Rochester's nose was unrecognisable and he wore a silver replacement when attending sittings of the House of Lords.

At the start of the film Rochester warns us that we will not like him. That may be so but another thing's for certain - we're not able to take our eyes off him. Depp is spell-binding in the role.

12 September 2006

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