Love Is the Devil: Study for a Portrait of Francis Bacon
1998 · Movie · 92 min · ★ 6.0 · 63% critics
Set in 1960s London, this drama follows a troubled romance between a celebrated painter and a small-time thief whose lives become tightly entwined. As one man is pulled into a glamorous but unstable social world, addiction and emotional cruelty begin to erode their bond.
Where to watch
Streaming on BFI Player Classics and Strand Releasing.
2 hours to watch.
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Details
- Years
- 1998
- Release date
- 1998-09-16
- Language
- English
- Runtime
- 92 min
- Critic score
- 63/100
- TMDB rating
- 6.0/10 (70 votes)
About
You may like this if you’re open to dark, unconventional relationship dramas with a surreal art-house mood, especially if Taboo or Wittgenstein appeal to you; Not for you if you want warmth, clarity, or an uplifting watch.
Pros: haunting atmosphere; striking visuals; strong performances | Cons: cold emotional distance; fragmented storytelling; relentlessly bleak tone
Themes
- new love
- loss of loved one
- arts
- artists' life
- painter
- biography
- lgbt
- gay theme
- gay artist
Cast & crew
Derek Jacobi
as Francis Bacon
Daniel Craig
as George Dyer
Tilda Swinton
as Muriel Belcher
Anne Lambton
as Isabel Rawsthorne
Adrian Scarborough
as Daniel Farson
Karl Johnson
as John Deakin
Annabel Brooks
as Henrietta Moreas
Ulla Larson-Styles
as Parisian Art World
Anita Pallenberg
as Casino
Mark Umbers
as PC Denham
Directed by John Maybury