''Basil'' is a 1998 British

historical History is the systematic study of the past, focusing primarily on the human past. As an academic discipline, it analyses and interprets evidence to construct narratives about what happened and explain why it happened. Some theorists categ ...

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. The drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular ...

directed by Radha Bharadwaj and starring Christian Slater,

Jared Leto Jared Joseph Leto ( ; born December 26, 1971) is an American actor and musician. Known for his method acting in Jared Leto filmography, a variety of roles, he has received List of awards and nominations received by Jared Leto, numerous accolade ...

, Claire Forlani and Derek Jacobi. It was based on the 1852 novel '' Basil'' by Victorian author

Wilkie Collins William Wilkie Collins (8 January 1824 – 23 September 1889) was an English novelist and playwright known especially for ''The Woman in White (novel), The Woman in White'' (1860), a mystery novel and early sensation novel, and for ''The Moonsto ...

. The adaptation is by Bharadwaj.

Plot

Basil recalls his younger days when he and his ennobled British family live at their Cornwall estate of Windermere Hall. His father, Frederick, is a firm believer that people should know their place in society. Clara Fairfax is an orphaned daughter of Basil's father's friend, and comes to live with Basil's family. Basil's older brother, Ralph, is, for his transgression with a local girl, banished to a distant, derelict family manor in Yorkshire. Later, Basil is home from Oxford University when he is rescued by a London merchant, John Mannion. Basil comes to think of John as his friend. While staying at his family's London home, Basil attempts to reconnect with John, and instead meets Julia Sherwin, the daughter of John's employer. Basil pursues her and she rejects him, but shortly before Basil is to come of age and inherit money and property, he secretly weds her. Julia sets her intentions on taking Windermere Hall in exchange for her affections. Basil finds Julia in bed with John; Basil beats him until he cannot get up. John disappears. Basil tells his father of the marriage, and is banished. Basil makes his way to his brother in Yorkshire. It is there that Basil receives a letter from John telling him of the scheme involving Julia to avenge the death of John's pregnant sister (by Ralph) after Ralph was banished years before. Julia is at Windermere; Basil helps deliver her newborn baby. John, with his face wrapped in cloth, arrives. Julia dies. John leaves the child behind when Basil chases him towards a cliff with a zulfiqar sword. During the scuffle, John's face is revealed, and he sees his disfigured reflection in the sword; he takes his own life by falling off the seaside cliff. Basil takes the newborn child and, naming her Clara after his childhood friend, escapes to Ireland. There, Basil returns to the writing, telling the stories he had started as a youth and eventually returning to London where the stories are to be published. Walking beside a pond, Basil and Clara come upon Basil's older friend Clara, who encourages Basil to make amends with his father, who happens to be sitting nearby. The elderly Frederick explains that he loved Basil's dead mother, and that the banishments were the result of having seen mirrored in his sons his own treatment of his dead wife. Basil and Clara make London their home.

Cast

as Basil **Jackson Leach as young Basil * Christian Slater as John Mannion **Guy Witcher as young John Mannion * Claire Forlani as Julia Sherwin * Rachel Pickup as Clara Fairfax **Carli Harris as young Clara Fairfax * Derek Jacobi as Frederick, Basil's father * David Ross as Mr. Sherwin, Julia's merchant father *Joanna John as Agnes, Basil's mother *Christopher Owen as Mr. Mannion, John's father *Stephanie Bagshaw as Emma Mannion, John's sister * Crispin Bonham-Carter as Ralph * Jenny Downham as Anna, Ralph's wife * Sarah Hadland as Windermere Hall Chambermaid *Ann Louise Grimshaw as Knitting Nurse * Michael Lieber as Boy with fishing rod *Georgiana Johnson as young Clara, Basil's daughter *Glenn Marks as Tramp *Hannah Morris as Regent's Park House Maid *Matthew Steer as young Ralph *Maisie Tomlinson as a Maid in the Sherwin household * Jack Wild as Peddler

Reception

The director's cut for ''Basil'' was selected twice to be the closing night film for the

Toronto International Film Festival The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF, often stylized as tiff) is one of the most prestigious and largest publicly attended film festivals in the world. Founded in 1976, the festival takes place every year in early September. The organi ...

’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.

Release

''Basil''’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 Cable may refer to: Mechanical * Nautical cable, an assembly of three or more ropes woven against the weave of the ropes, rendering it virtually waterproof * Wire rope, a type of rope that consists of several strands of metal wire laid into a hel ...

, and then in

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and DVD. The film was released theatrically on 4 March 1998, it was released on videocassette on 1 February 2000 by Buena Vista Home Entertainment. On 4 March 2003, Buena Vista Home Entertainment released a DVD for region 1; a DVD for region 2 was released on 12 April 2005 by ILC Video.

References

External links