Basil (film)
Encyclopedia
Basil is a 1998 British
historical drama film
directed by Radha Bharadwaj
and starring Jared Leto
, Derek Jacobi
, Claire Forlani
, and Christian Slater
. It was based on the 1852 novel of the same name
by Wilkie Collins
. The adaptation was by Bharadwaj.
), young British aristocrat
who grew up on the country estate of Windermere Hall. His father Frederick (Derek Jacobi
) is a traditionalist who believes that there are things people of their class should never do. One of those things is romancing the women of lower classes and Frederick threatens Basil with disinheriting him if he ever succumbs to the temptation. Young Basil is, however, of rebellious nature and during his studies befriends a commoner named John Mannion (Christian Slater
). Mannion introduces young aristocrat to Julia Sherwin (Claire Forlani
), beautiful daughter of local merchant. Basil falls in love and marries the girl only to realise that it was all part of an intrigue.
’s Special Presentation series. The film was pulled from the festival screening at the last minute, foregoing an opportunity to screen at one of the world’s premier film festivals. Basil was also chosen for a prime slot at the Los Angeles Film Festival
. In February 1998, Basil was screened at the American Film Market
and was received positively.
In the United States
, the film was rated R by the MPAA
due to a scene involving abortion.
’ s financiers released their cut of the film, complete with their choice of sound, design and music. This is the version that was subsequently released on cable
, and then in videotape
and DVD
.
While Touchstone
released the film theatrically on July 22, 1998, the film was released on videocassette on February 1, 2000 by Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment. On March 4, 2003, Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment released a DVD for region 1, while a DVD for region 2 was released on April 12, 2005 by ILC Video.
Cinema of the United Kingdom
The United Kingdom has had a major influence on modern cinema. The first moving pictures developed on celluloid film were made in Hyde Park, London in 1889 by William Friese Greene, a British inventor, who patented the process in 1890. It is generally regarded that the British film industry...
historical drama film
Drama film
A drama film is a film genre that depends mostly on in-depth development of realistic characters dealing with emotional themes. Dramatic themes such as alcoholism, drug addiction, infidelity, moral dilemmas, racial prejudice, religious intolerance, poverty, class divisions, violence against women...
directed by Radha Bharadwaj
Radha Bharadwaj
Radha Bharadwaj is an Indian filmmaker, film producer and screenwriter. She moved to the United States in her late teens to study film. Bharadwaj's screenwriting and directing feature debut is Closet Land...
and starring Jared Leto
Jared Leto
Jared Joseph Leto is an American actor, director, producer, occasional model and musician. Leto has appeared in both big budget Hollywood films and smaller projects from independent producers and art houses. He rose to prominence for playing Jordan Catalano in the teenage drama My So-Called Life...
, Derek Jacobi
Derek Jacobi
Sir Derek George Jacobi, CBE is an English actor and film director.A "forceful, commanding stage presence", Jacobi has enjoyed a highly successful stage career, appearing in such stage productions as Hamlet, Uncle Vanya, and Oedipus the King. He received a Tony Award for his performance in...
, Claire Forlani
Claire Forlani
Claire Antonia Forlani is an English actress.-Early life:Claire Forlani was born in Twickenham, London, the daughter of Barbara , who was English, and Pierluigi Forlani, a music manager from Ferrara, Italy. At the age of 11, Forlani entered the Arts Educational School in London, where she began to...
, and Christian Slater
Christian Slater
Christian Michael Leonard Slater is an American actor. He made his film debut with a small role in The Postman Always Rings Twice before playing a leading role in the 1985 film The Legend of Billie Jean...
. It was based on the 1852 novel of the same name
Basil (novel)
Basil is the second novel written by British author Wilkie Collins, after Antonina.Basil, son of a father who values the family pedigree and who would not let him marry below his station, falls in love at first sight with a girl he sees on a bus. He stalks her and discovers she is Margaret...
by Wilkie Collins
Wilkie Collins
William Wilkie Collins was an English novelist, playwright, and author of short stories. He was very popular during the Victorian era and wrote 30 novels, more than 60 short stories, 14 plays, and over 100 non-fiction pieces...
. The adaptation was by Bharadwaj.
Plot
Basil (Jared LetoJared Leto
Jared Joseph Leto is an American actor, director, producer, occasional model and musician. Leto has appeared in both big budget Hollywood films and smaller projects from independent producers and art houses. He rose to prominence for playing Jordan Catalano in the teenage drama My So-Called Life...
), young British aristocrat
Aristocracy
Aristocracy , is a form of government in which a few elite citizens rule. The term derives from the Greek aristokratia, meaning "rule of the best". In origin in Ancient Greece, it was conceived of as rule by the best qualified citizens, and contrasted with monarchy...
who grew up on the country estate of Windermere Hall. His father Frederick (Derek Jacobi
Derek Jacobi
Sir Derek George Jacobi, CBE is an English actor and film director.A "forceful, commanding stage presence", Jacobi has enjoyed a highly successful stage career, appearing in such stage productions as Hamlet, Uncle Vanya, and Oedipus the King. He received a Tony Award for his performance in...
) is a traditionalist who believes that there are things people of their class should never do. One of those things is romancing the women of lower classes and Frederick threatens Basil with disinheriting him if he ever succumbs to the temptation. Young Basil is, however, of rebellious nature and during his studies befriends a commoner named John Mannion (Christian Slater
Christian Slater
Christian Michael Leonard Slater is an American actor. He made his film debut with a small role in The Postman Always Rings Twice before playing a leading role in the 1985 film The Legend of Billie Jean...
). Mannion introduces young aristocrat to Julia Sherwin (Claire Forlani
Claire Forlani
Claire Antonia Forlani is an English actress.-Early life:Claire Forlani was born in Twickenham, London, the daughter of Barbara , who was English, and Pierluigi Forlani, a music manager from Ferrara, Italy. At the age of 11, Forlani entered the Arts Educational School in London, where she began to...
), beautiful daughter of local merchant. Basil falls in love and marries the girl only to realise that it was all part of an intrigue.
Cast
- Jared LetoJared LetoJared Joseph Leto is an American actor, director, producer, occasional model and musician. Leto has appeared in both big budget Hollywood films and smaller projects from independent producers and art houses. He rose to prominence for playing Jordan Catalano in the teenage drama My So-Called Life...
as Basil - Christian SlaterChristian SlaterChristian Michael Leonard Slater is an American actor. He made his film debut with a small role in The Postman Always Rings Twice before playing a leading role in the 1985 film The Legend of Billie Jean...
as John Mannion - Claire ForlaniClaire ForlaniClaire Antonia Forlani is an English actress.-Early life:Claire Forlani was born in Twickenham, London, the daughter of Barbara , who was English, and Pierluigi Forlani, a music manager from Ferrara, Italy. At the age of 11, Forlani entered the Arts Educational School in London, where she began to...
as Julia Sherwin - Derek JacobiDerek JacobiSir Derek George Jacobi, CBE is an English actor and film director.A "forceful, commanding stage presence", Jacobi has enjoyed a highly successful stage career, appearing in such stage productions as Hamlet, Uncle Vanya, and Oedipus the King. He received a Tony Award for his performance in...
as Father Frederick - Crispin Bonham-CarterCrispin Bonham-CarterCrispin Bonham-Carter is an English actor and theatre director.Bonham-Carter is a distant cousin of Helena Bonham Carter. He is the son of Peter Bonham-Carter and Clodagh Greenwood. Educated at Glenalmond College, he graduated from the University of St Andrews, Scotland with a degree in classics...
as Ralph - Sarah HadlandSarah HadlandSarah Hadland is an English actress who has a career spanning theatre, film, and television and as a voice-over artist.-Early life and education:...
as Windmere House Chambermaid - Stephanie Bagshaw as Emma Mannion
- Jenny DownhamJenny DownhamJenny Downham is a British novelist and an ex-actor. She has published two books, Before I Die, the fictional account of the last few months of a sixteen-year-old girl who has been dying of leukeamia for four years...
as Anna - Ann Louise Grimshaw as Knitting Nurse
- Carli Harris as young Clara Fairfax
- Joanna John as Mother Agnes
- Georgiana Johnson as young Clara
- Jackson Leach as young Basil
- Glenn Marks as Tramp
- Hannah Morris as Regent's Park House Maid
- Christopher Owen as Father Mannion
- Rachel PickupRachel PickupRachel Pickup is a British theatre, television and film actress. She was born in London on 15 July 1973.She got a place at the National Youth Theatre under the artistic directorship of Edward Wilson and subsequently won a place at RADA....
as Clara Fairfax - David RossDavid RossDavid Ross may refer to:*David Ross , British actor who played Kryten in the second series of BBC sitcom Red Dwarf*David Joseph Ross , American environmentalist...
as Mr. Sherwin - Matthew Steer as young Ralph
- Maisie Tomlinson as Sherwin Maid
- Jack WildJack WildJack Wild was a British actor who is best remembered for his performances in both stage and screen productions of the Lionel Bart musical Oliver! with Ron Moody, Shani Wallis, and Oliver Reed. He received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor at the age of 16 for the role of the...
as Peddler - Guy Witcher as young John Mannion
Reception
The director’s cut for Basil was selected twice to be the closing night film for the Toronto International Film FestivalToronto International Film Festival
The Toronto International Film Festival is a publicly-attended film festival held each September in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. In 2010, 339 films from 59 countries were screened at 32 screens in downtown Toronto venues...
’s Special Presentation series. The film was pulled from the festival screening at the last minute, foregoing an opportunity to screen at one of the world’s premier film festivals. Basil was also chosen for a prime slot at the Los Angeles Film Festival
Los Angeles Film Festival
The Los Angeles Film Festival, presented by the Los Angeles Times is an event held annually in June in downtown Los Angeles, California. The Los Angeles Film Festival began as the Los Angeles Independent Film Festival in 1995. The first LAIFF took place over the course of five days in a single...
. In February 1998, Basil was screened at the American Film Market
American Film Market
The American Film Market is a film industry event held each year at the beginning of November in Santa Monica, California. About 8,000 people attend the eight day event to network and to sell and acquire films...
and was received positively.
In the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, the film was rated R by the MPAA
Motion Picture Association of America
The Motion Picture Association of America, Inc. , originally the Motion Picture Producers and Distributors of America , was founded in 1922 and is designed to advance the business interests of its members...
due to a scene involving abortion.
Release
BasilCable television
Cable television is a system of providing television programs to consumers via radio frequency signals transmitted to televisions through coaxial cables or digital light pulses through fixed optical fibers located on the subscriber's property, much like the over-the-air method used in traditional...
, and then in videotape
Videotape
A videotape is a recording of images and sounds on to magnetic tape as opposed to film stock or random access digital media. Videotapes are also used for storing scientific or medical data, such as the data produced by an electrocardiogram...
and DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
.
While Touchstone
Touchstone Pictures
Touchstone Pictures is an American film production label and is one of several film labels of the Walt Disney Motion Pictures Group. Established in 1984, its releases typically feature more mature themes and darker tones than those that are released under the Walt Disney Pictures banner.Touchstone...
released the film theatrically on July 22, 1998, the film was released on videocassette on February 1, 2000 by Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment. On March 4, 2003, Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment released a DVD for region 1, while a DVD for region 2 was released on April 12, 2005 by ILC Video.
Release history
| Region | Release date | Festival or Distributor |
|---|---|---|
| United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... |
4 March 1998 | American Film Market American Film Market The American Film Market is a film industry event held each year at the beginning of November in Santa Monica, California. About 8,000 people attend the eight day event to network and to sell and acquire films... |
| Iceland Iceland Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population... |
9 June 1998 | Touchstone Pictures Touchstone Pictures Touchstone Pictures is an American film production label and is one of several film labels of the Walt Disney Motion Pictures Group. Established in 1984, its releases typically feature more mature themes and darker tones than those that are released under the Walt Disney Pictures banner.Touchstone... |
| Norway Norway Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million... |
22 July 1998 | |
| Indonesia Indonesia Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an... |
12 September 1998 | |
| United States | 8 October 1998 | The Kushner-Locke Company The Kushner-Locke Company The Kushner-Locke Company is an American independent motion picture/television production company founded in 1983, it is named after its founders Donald Kushner and Peter Locke.... |
| Japan Japan Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south... |
27 February 1999 | Touchstone Pictures |
| Hong Kong Hong Kong Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour... |
28 October 1999 | |
| Spain Spain Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula... |
5 May 2000 | Sherlock Media S.L. |
| Argentina Argentina Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires... |
16 November 2000 | Argentina Video Home |
| Germany Germany Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate... |
8 June 2007 | Kinowelt Home Entertainment |