In 17th-century Rome, Caravaggio hustled painting commissions out of the Church while consorting with male lovers, sex workers, and the criminal underclass. On his deathbed, his mind drifts back, recalling the brutal, sensual relationship with model Ranuccio Thomasoni, and Ranuccio’s mistress, Lena.

A serendipitous screen debut for Tilda Swinton, Derek Jarman’s sumptuous biopic breaks all the rules, marking the blossoming of a creative partnership between the two artists. Portraying an iron-willed object of desire, the young actress toys with gender stereotypes, giving us a muse who gazes back.