The film is a meta-commentary on censorship. Dr. Royer-Collard burns books. De Sade writes with blood. The film suggests that repression does not kill desire; it merely warps it into violence. When the Doctor tries to "purify" the asylum, he ends up committing the very atrocities de Sade only wrote about.

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His stories escape the asylum walls, corrupting the morals of Parisian society. This forces the sadistic Dr. Royer-Collard (Michael Caine) to wage a war of terror against the writer, while the Abbé (Phoenix) and the laundress Madeleine (Winslet) are caught in the crossfire.

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: The film contrasts the "immoral" but honest Marquis with the "moral" but brutal and hypocritical Dr. Royer-Collard. Historical Accuracy