Savage Messiah (1972) by Ken Russell

Savage Messiah is a 1972 British biographical film of the life of French sculptor Henri Gaudier-Brzeska, made by Russ-Arts and distributed by MGM. It was directed and produced by Ken Russell with Harry Benn as associate producer, from a screenplay by Christopher Logue, based on the book Savage Messiah by H.S. Ede. Much of the content of Ede's book came from letters sent between Henri Gaudier-Brzeska and his lover Sophie Brzeska. The music score was by Michael Garrett (though music by Claude Debussy and Alexander Scriabin was also used), and the cinematography by Dick Bush. The sets were designed by Derek Jarman.

Starring: Dorothy Tutin, Scott Antony, Helen Mirren, Lindsay Kemp, Peter Vaughan and Michael Gough.

References: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Savage_Messiah

Whore (1991) by Ken Russell

Whore is a 1991 film and the last film by controversial British director and screenwriter Ken Russell, starring actress Theresa Russell as a Los Angeles prostitute. The film remains fairly rare as it has only been released on VHS as of 2012. Below is a link to the view the full feature. Enjoy.

Ken Russell's, The Devils (1971), feature + trailer & Hell on Earth - The Desecration & Resurrection of "The Devils" (2004)

Traces the history and controversy surrounding the film The DEVILS, Ken Russell's notorious 1971 film of alleged 'demonic possession' in 17th century France. Features interviews with Ken Russell, who talks openly about his battles with studios, censors and critics; actors Vanessa Redgrave, Dudley Sutton, Murray Melvin, Georgina Hale, Imogen Claire, Doremy Vernon, Judith Paris, Selena Gilbert, and Izabella Telezinska; extra in the film Lee Fyles; critics Alexander Walker and Nigel Floyd; composer Sir Peter Maxwell Davies; producer Roy Baird; editor Michael Bradsell; director of photography David Watkin; Peter Malone, President, The World Catholic Association for Communication; BBFC examiner Ken Perry; and Father Gene Phillips, Consultant Legion of Decency, and Attorney General's Commission of Motion Pictures. The documentary also, for the first time, shows the censored sequences that were cut from the finished film.

An online petition has been created to send to Warner Brothers to convince them to release a restored uncut DVD edition of the "the Devils".

http://www.petitiononline.com/Grandier/

Salome's Last Dance (1988) by Ken Russell

Salome's Last Dance is a 1988 film by British film director, Ken Russell. Although most of the action is a verbatim performance of Oscar Wilde's 1893 play Salome, which is itself based on a story from the New Testament, there is also a framing narrative written by Russell himself. Wilde (Nickolas Grace) and his lover Lord Alfred Douglas (Douglas Hodge) arrive late on Guy Fawkes Day at their friend's brothel, where they are treated to a surprise staging of Wilde's play, public performances of which have just been banned in England by the Lord Chamberlain's office.

In the play, all the roles are played by prostitutes or their clients, and each actor (except Grace) plays two roles, one in the brothel and the other in the play. King Herod (Stratford Johns) begs his young stepdaughter Salome (Imogen Millais-Scott) to dance for him, promising to give her anything she desires, much to the irritation of her mother, Herodias (Glenda Jackson). Salome ignores him, choosing instead to try and seduce John the Baptist, who is Herod's prisoner. John responds by loudly condemning both Herod and Salome in the name of God. A spurned and vengeful Salome then agrees to dance for Herod — on the condition that she be given anything she asks for. Herod agrees, but it is only after the dance is over that Salome asks for the head of John the Baptist on a platter. Herod is appalled, tries to dissuade her, but finally gives in to her request. The scenes from the play are interwoven with images of Wilde's exploits at the brothel.

This film met with modest critical acclaim. The review in the New York Times called it "a perfumed, comic stunt," but noted that "Mr. Russell forces one to attend to (and to discover the odd glory in) the Wilde language, which, on the printed page, works faster than Valium."

References: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salome%27s_Last_Dance

Omnibus: The Dance of the Seven Veils; A Comic Strip in 7 Episodes on the Life of Richard Strauss,1864-1946 (1970) by Ken Russell

Omnibus was an arts-based BBC television documentary series, broadcast on BBC One in the United Kingdom. It was first shown in 1967, and ended in 2003.





























Ken Russell at his best and most kitsch, a foretaste of energy and excitement of The Music Lovers. It is his first television film in color. The film has been described as a violent caricature of composer Richard Strauss. The comic strip approach and appearance of Hitler alienated his audience. A couple make love on the bed and just behind the bed is a chamber orchestra with Ken Russell himself conducting both the orchestra and the couple. When the Strauss family withdrew permission to use the music after the initial broadcast, Russell substituted Johan Strauss when excerpts from the film were broadcast (as in A British Picture). It was time for Ken to move on from the BBC and back into films.

Reference: http://www.iainfisher.com/russell/ken-russell-tv-omnibus.html

Knights on Bikes (1956) by Ken Russell

It starts with a cross and a knight in armour (played by Russell) who eventually rides a bike to rescue a damsel in distress. She is abducted by a man in a wheelchair (a recurring image with Russell) and a person who under his robes turns out to be a wolf. And suddenly the film ends. Possibly unfinished.

Peepshow (1956) by Ken Russell

A short silent film made for £100. During the making of this film Russell converted to Catholicism.

The Bogus Beggar's Academy trains beggars (dark glasses to appear to be blind, practising limping with crutches etc). But their earnings fall when a peepshow is set up. Through the hole in the wall is a professor and a mechanical life-size doll, played by Shirley Russell (then Shirley Kingdom)

The films is influenced by The Cabinet of Dr Caligari, and is also similar to the amateur films Roman Polanski was making round the same time (Two Men and a Wardrobe) but is well below the level of Polanski or of Russell's later Amelia and the Angel. The best parts are the photography from above of the crowd around the hole in the wall (compare with Hitchcock).

A nice touch is that the story (the film is silent so it is told in writing) is chalked to the pavement or painted on walls. And the opening credits with credits painted on umbrellas filmed from above, which are then removed to reveal the rest of the credits on the pavement, is imaginative.

The doll sequence would later be used in Gothic.

More Information:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0049606/

http://www.iainfisher.com/russell/ken...

Antonio Gaudi (1961, BBC documentary) by Ken Russell

Henry Kenneth Alfred Russell (born 3 July 1927), known as Ken Russell, is an English film director. He is known for his pioneering work in television and film and for his controversial style. He has been criticized as being overly obsessed with sexuality and the church. His subject matter is often about famous composers, or based on other works of art which he adapts loosely. Russell began directing for the BBC, where he did creative adaptations of composers' lives which were unusual for the time. He also directed many feature films independently and for studios.
He is best known for his Oscar-winning film Women in Love (1969), The Devils (1971), The Who's Tommy (1975), and the sci-fi film Altered States (1980).



Antoni Plàcid Guillem Gaudí i Cornet (25 June 1852–10 June 1926) – in English, normally referred to by the Spanish translation of his name, Antonio Gaudí^[3][4][5] – was a Catalan architect who belonged to the Modernist style (Art Nouveau) movement and was famous for his unique and highly individualistic designs.

Photograph of Antoni Gaudi (1878) by Pau Audouard.

For more information on Ken Russell: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ken_Russell

For more information on Antonio Gaudi: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaudi