Taglines: Someone with everything…..has everything to lose.
Basil (Jared Leto) is a 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 to disinherit Basil as he did Ralph, his elder son, should he also succumb to this temptation.
Whilst on holiday from his studies in Oxford, young Basil happens to meet a commoner named John Mannion (Christian Slater) whom he later befriends, against his father’s wishes and behind his back. Through John the young aristocrat meets Julia Sherwin (Claire Forlani), the beautiful daughter of a London merchant.
Later, in a rash move shortly before he can inherit, and against the initial council of John, Basil secretly marries Julia. She uses his amorous advances to extract gifts and even his promise that she should own Windermere Hall. By chance, he finds Julia in bed with John, following which Basil viciously attacks him in the street, kicking him repeatedly.
Afterwards, Basil delivers Julia’s child, then hears John coming up the stairs. Basil hides, seeing John with a mask covering his face. As Julia tries to lift it, John says, “Remember me as I was, not what I am now”. Julia dies in John’s arms after confessing the child is his, not Basil’s.
All John wants is to take the child and leave. Basil hears this and chases after John with a knife. As they fight, Basil pulls down John’s mask, revealing John’s mutilated face. John sees the reflection of his face in the blade of the knife, leading him to take his life by jumping off a cliff.
Basil is a 1998 British historical drama film directed by Radha Bharadwaj and starring Christian Slater, Jared Leto, Claire Forlani, Derek Jacobi, David Ross, Crispin Bonham-Carter, Stephanie Bagshaw, Sarah Hadland and Maisie Bryceland. It was based on the 1852 novel Basil by Victorian author Wilkie Collins. The adaptation is by Bharadwaj.
Basil (1998)
Directed by: Radha Bharadwaj
Starring: Christian Slater, Jared Leto, Claire Forlani, Derek Jacobi, David Ross, Crispin Bonham-Carter, Stephanie Bagshaw, Sarah Hadland, Maisie Bryceland
Screenplay by: Radha Bharadwaj
Production Design by: James Merifield
Cinematography by: David Johnson
Film Editing by: Craig Nisker
Costume Design by: Deirdre Clancy
Art Direction by: Peter Wenham
Music by: Richard G Mitchell
MPAA Rating: R for a scene involving abortion.
Distributed by: Buena Vista Pictures
Release Date: July 22, 1998
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