BAFTA Short Film Paradise: Ken Russell

Ken Russell: Ad Memorium
1927 – 2011

"Love him or hate him, you could never accuse him of being boring. One of Britain's greats, he should have been honoured by his country. Sadly now it's too late.”
– Roger Daltrey, speaking after news of Russell’s death

Ken Russell is a man who probably needs little introduction, a legend in his own lifetime, Russell produced some of the most remarkable images ever committed to celluloid. He first achieved fame in the early sixties when he directed a series of documentaries for Monitor, the innovative BBC arts programme, the most well-known of which included Elgar, a ground-breaking biopic of the English composer of the same name. The film had the effect of firmly establishing Russell as serious directorial talent, and proved pioneering in its use of actor-driven dramatic re-enactments.

In the early sixties, Russell turned his hand to feature film, and worked on a number of critically acclaimed pictures, including French Dressing (1963), Billion Dollar Brain (1967), and Women in Love (1969). By the time the seventies arrived, Russell had honed and perfected his unique directorial style, which flew in the gritty face of the (then dominant) ‘kitchen sink’ convention of British cinema. Combining the flamboyance and slick visual dynamism of Italian cinema with the macabre absurdism of the British comic tradition, his oeuvre embodied the spirit of fearlessness and experimentation that underpinned the culture of the post-war generation.

The greatest example of Russell’s singular talent is arguably The Devils, his 1971 historical drama starring Oliver Reed and Vanessa Redgrave. The film was considered so controversial that Warner Brothers (who hold the rights) still refuse to release the uncut version in its entirety. However, The Devils is undoubtedly a masterpiece of British cinema; minimalistic yet baroque, the film is a divinely profane nightmare in monochrome – a grotesque conconction of naked, romping nuns, snake-oil salesmen, and gallows humour, all cut to stomach-churningly unsettling soundtrack. Wildly provocative, corrupt, and deliciously sinful, The Devils is arguably his finest work.

His most box-office-friendly offering came in the form of Tommy (1975), a film adaptation of The Who’s rock opera of the same name. The film was a star-studded affair, spending a record 14 weeks at the number one spot, it subsequently played to full houses for over a year.

Ken Russell continued to make films throughout his life, and at the time of his death, he is reported to have been working on a feature-length version of Alice in Wonderland: The Musical.

In November 2006, Ken Russell visited Watershed for a BAFTA Short Film Paradise event which took place as part of Encounters Film Festival. He was joined by film critic and friend Mark Kermode, and this film contains the highlights from their conversation.

Mark Kermode is a film critic, musician, and BAFTA member who writes for a number of publications including Sight and Sound Magazine and The Observer. Mark had a long-association with Ken Russell, and spent a number of years campaigning for The Devils to be released in its entirety.

Posted on Fri 24 Feb 2006.

BAFTA Short Film Paradise: Ken Russell

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