I am far from being either an art or a film historian, and perhaps because of this I am missing some subtleties in the narrative – I believe that a movie ought to stand on its own to those who are thoughtful but not necessarily academics –
Visually, the film is very beautiful and enjoyable to watch – Director Derek Jarman and Cinematography Gabriel Beristain have framed the scenes as Caravaggio does his paintings –
Narratively it is basically a melodrama where the painter Caravaggio is part of a love triangle with the shady Ranuccio and a prostitute Lena – Both love Lena, although the extent that Lena’s love is reciprocal is ambiguous – Both men love each other – There are subplots, mostly involving the Roman church, a Cardinal who is Caravaggio’s patron, and various other dalliances and intrigues –
Jarman views Caravaggio as gay, or at least bisexual – There is apparently little evidence of this one way or the other in the scant historical record of Caravaggio’s personal life – Jarman, who in addition to being a filmmaker, is an artist and openly gay, says he sees it principally in the body of his work (gaydar?) – Little matter –
I highly recommend Jim Clark’s comprehensive review found in the links section of this page.