Select semi-fictionalized incidents of the life of Italian Renaissance painter Michelangelo de Caravaggio are presented with a decidedly modern British sensibility. One of those specific incidents is at his deathbed where he is with his long time companion Jerusaleme. Caravaggio demonstrates what is important in his life as he makes a definitive choice in a symbol into his death. The other incidents are largely framed by the other major relationships in his life, including with: Cardinal Del Monte, his main conduit with the Catholic church with which he had a financially lucrative relationship; Ranuccio, a street fighter who was one of his frequent models; and Lena, Ranuccio's lover who also acted as his model. Caravaggio's relationships with these three were also characterized by their sexual ambiguity.
—Huggo