Love Is the Devil: Study for a Portrait of Francis Bacon 1998

When George Dyer, who is still a stranger to Francis Bacon, is caught breaking and entering into Bacon’s apartment studio, he seems to be in a bad position if Bacon decides to call for the police. Instead, Bacon sizes him up and, entranced by his physique and good looks, baldly propositions him. Dyer decides to take Bacon up on his proposition and the two sleep together. That night marks the start of an intense, enduring relationship as Bacon begins to introduce Dyer to his circle and to the art world where he is already an established figure.

Bacon pulls Dyer into a world he is comfortable in—a gritty pub scene where reputation and bravado mix with a certain artistic bravura. Dyer starts to take an interest in Bacon’s work, hearing talk of the primitive and brutal edge that defines his art. As the couple begins to live together, Bacon imagines himself as a free agent in an open relationship, occasionally meeting other companions in clubs or during gambling rounds. But Dyer’s reaction to these flings grows increasingly troubled, and at one point his jealousy pushes him toward acting out—stashing drugs in Bacon’s apartment and calling the police to report them. Bacon is arrested, not as a criminal, but as a public formality in a tense moment of accusation and doubt. The rift widens as Dyer’s anger and insecurity burn brighter.

The tension between desire and dependence becomes more acute when Bacon invites Dyer to accompany him on a trip to New York. In a moment of desperation, Dyer stages a suicide attempt by threatening to jump from a rooftop, prompting Bacon to intervene. After calming him, Bacon hands him another large gift—a check for $20,000—and suggests they should also go to Paris together. The couple’s dynamic remains unstable: Dyer’s drinking worsens, he voices grievances about Bacon to Bacon’s friends, and he repeatedly clashes with the police. Meanwhile, Bacon fights to keep his creative projects moving forward and to navigate the pressures of fame and self-identity, all while his social circle indulges in a mix of drugs and alcohol.

As they decide to move their life to Paris, Dyer’s struggles escalate into delirium tremens, and he slips into a dangerous overdose. Bacon’s professional success in Paris does not heal their fractured bond; instead, the strain becomes overwhelming. In the end, Dyer’s grip on life slips away, and the film closes on Bacon alone in his Paris apartment, reflecting on what it was like when Dyer was alive and by his side.

Overall, the film traces a combustible romance between two men, framed by the bohemian circles of their time, where art, desire, fame, and vulnerability collide. It offers a dark, intimate portrait of dependency, creative ambition, and the human cost of living intensely in the limelight.