( Joaquin Phoenix ): The idealistic head of the asylum who believes in treating Sade through "art therapy" and expression.

( Michael Caine ): A brutal, conservative doctor sent by Napoleon to silence the Marquis through extreme methods of censorship and physical torture. Key Themes Quills (2000) - IMDb

The film portrays the Marquis de Sade (played by ) as an irrepressible writer who continues to pen and publish scandalous, erotic literature while incarcerated. With the help of a young, enraptured laundress named Madeleine ( Kate Winslet ), he manages to smuggle his manuscripts out for publication. His activities ignite a fierce battle of wills between: