Ken Russell

[poliphilo]

Ken Russell, the veteran film maker, is preparing to release home made movies on the Web. He's got a project lined up called Braveheart Meets The Loch Ness Monster.

Russell made some very bad films back in the day- Tommy, Gothic, the Boyfriend. His work for the cinema was characterized by a total lack of subtlety and a failure to understand the need for pacing. Occasionally- as with the male nudity in Women in Love- he broke through barriers that needed breaking.

But before he stepped up to the big screen he did some amazing work on TV. Everyone of a certain age remembers his short film about Elgar- with the camera tracking a small boy as he rides his pony across the Malvern hills- but even better was his uncharacteristically moving film about Delius- A Song at Sunrise. And then there was his boat-burning film about Richard Strauss with it's bosomy Teutonic maidens, priapic caveman and nazi rapists. Back in his TV heyday each new Russell opus was a national event and, latterly, a national scandal.

I'm glad he hasn't mellowed and I'm glad he's back on the (very small) screen.
I don't suppose Braveheart Meets The Loch Ness Monster will be any good, but wouldn't it be fun it it was!

Comments

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

That's it. Russell is often crass but he's always been interesting. I don't think he's made a great film, but he's made a number of unforgettable ones.