synopsis : committed to an asylum
, the marquis de sade ( rush ) continues to publish pornographic literature , aided by young maid madeleine ( winslet ) .
abbe coulmier ( phoenix ) , who runs the hospital , disapproves of the stories , but humours him in the hope of achieving a cure .
de sade 's craft and life are threatened when the emperor dispatches dr royer - collard ( michael caine ) to stop the marquis ' work , permanently .
review : " quills " is an exploration of the marquis de sade : his madness , his cruelty and his perversion , his obsession with sex in any form , no matter how obscene .
but " quills " also details the marquis ' determination : to write in spite of the obstacles put in his path , and to propagate his words to the masses .
the extent to which de sade is willing to go to practise his trade is amongst the movie 's most intriguing elements , as when de sade scribes a story in his own blood , or narrates a tale via of a chain of fellow inmates , cell to cell .
to provide a contrast with the marquis , wright involves him with two very different characters .
one is the abbe , a handsome , charming and kindly man whose desires are stymied by his oath to god .
the abbe lusts for madeleine , but it is the wizened marquis who is able to have her .
and then there is royer - collard , a hypocrite who in truth is as sadistic as any of the marquis ' motley creations .
rush is splendid as de sade , utterly inhabiting the character .
kaufman 's direction is fine , and he is able to bring a sense of bizarre humour to the grim proceedings .
the plot itself is rather mundane and plays out unsurprisingly , but this is virtually unimportant .
for two hours , " quills " acquaints us with the marquis de sade -- and , more frightening still , allows us brief insight into his scatological soul .
amongst the movie 's most intriguing elements splendid utterly inhabiting the character