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Savage Messiah: Ken Russell => Savage Messiah: Ken Russell => Topic started by: regal26 on September 15, 2008, 02:12:51 PM
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An interesting interview in the Guardian between Bernard Rose and Ken Russell.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2008/sep/15/biography
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I like the article and Bernard Rose is my second favourite director, especially for Candyman, Paperhouse and Ivan's XTC. I also now know the influence of Ken on Apocalypse Now, which various people have mentioned before but I could never see- it is the opening of Apocalypse copying the opening of Mahler.
I always thought Immortal Beloved was influenced by Ken. From memory (I don't have the film) I remember Beethoven being humiliated in public for a performance (because he was becoming deaf) being similar to Tchaikovsky being ridiculed after the premiere of his first piano concerto. And just as Ken, Rose doesn't give a life story but uses incidents to give a better insight into the subject.
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I though Immortal Beloved was an average movie. I felt it was lacking energy. Like Rose said, the studio wanted another Amadeus, not 'Mahler.'
Still...it wasn't as bad as Agnieszka Holland's 'Copying Beethoven' which was quite
a snooze fest.
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" I also now know the influence of Ken on Apocalypse Now, which various people have mentioned before but I could never see- it is the opening of Apocalypse copying the opening of Mahler."
And now photos of the opening of Mahler
(http://www.iainfisher.com/russell/ken-russell-mahler-20.jpg) (http://www.iainfisher.com/russell/ken-russell-mahler-18.jpg)
And the opening of Apocalypse Now!
(http://www.iainfisher.com/russell/apolcalypse-now.jpg)
(http://www.iainfisher.com/russell/apocalypse-now!.jpg)
Both initial images with music but no dialogue. Mahler is pre-credits and Apocalypse Now! has no credits at the start of the film.