Marat/Sade (1967)

In the year 1808, the Charenton Insane Asylum, situated on the outskirts of Paris, becomes an unlikely stage for the production of a dramatic play. This theatrical endeavor, the brainchild of the asylum's notorious inmate, the Marquis de Sade, is not only a form of therapy for the mentally afflicted but also a spectacle for the aristocracy, demonstrating the progressive nature of their treatment methods. Caught in the play's web are the asylum's director, M. Coulmier, an ardent supporter of Napoleon's regime, and his family, who are bestowed special seats of honor. The unusual cast of this theatrical piece, composed entirely of asylum inmates, stages the performance in the bath house, separated from their elite audience by prison bars, a potent symbol of their confined lives. The narrative woven by the Marquis is a vivid retelling of a significant period during the French Revolution, focusing on the assassination of Jean-Paul Marat, the revolutionary, by Charlotte Corday, a peasant girl, exactly fifteen years prior. The play dives into the heart of controversy, seeking to answer whether Marat was an ally or adversary to the people of France. Playing the leads are an eclectic mix of patients; a paranoiac with a skin condition as Marat, a narcoleptic with melancholia as Corday, and a manic with sexual obsessions as M. Dupere. As the Marquis uses the stage to engage in intense dialogue with the Marat character about the nature and motivations behind the revolution, Coulmier finds himself having to intervene frequently as the performance begins to spiral out of control. As the inmates delve deeper into the narrative, they find themselves increasingly possessed by the play's violent themes, their performances becoming extensions of their personal battles against authority. The boundary between the play and the reality of the inmates' lives begins to blur, leading to an unpredictable climax as chaos descends upon the asylum, mirroring the tumultuous times of the revolution it seeks to depict. What started as a therapeutic distraction transforms into a powerful commentary on the nature of power, madness, and revolution.

Marat/Sade is a drama movie featuring Patrick Magee and directed by Peter Brook.

Marat/Sade is currently streaming on Amazon Prime Video, MGM Plus, MGM Plus Roku Premium Channel and fuboTV.

It is also possible to buy Marat/Sade on Vudu.