It marks as the first time Sandy Powell provided the costume design for a feature film. Powell was a huge fan of Derek Jarman's work and one day she decided to call him asking to work with him. After this experience, they worked together in four other films: The Last of England (1987), Jarman's segment in Aria (1987), Edward II (1991) and Wittgenstein (1993).
The movie includes many anachronisms. This is a reference to Caravaggio's work which often included deliberate anachronisms.
This film was seven years in the making.