This source material apparently invites the wackiest filmmakers to try their hand at its adaptation. Derek Jarman's moody lighting and maniacal tone give this no shortage of intrigue, but it's hardly a definitive The Tempest. The high point comes early with Antonio's arrival on the island, washing up and wandering the place in the nude. It's a reminder that Jarman's power is in his prurience, while scenes that don't operate on such a base level fall flat. At its zaniest, this can be either downright irritating or entrancing like when Elisabeth Welch performs "Stormy Weather" to a crowd of handsome sailors in the finale.
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