Author Topic: Savage Messiah  (Read 6223 times)

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Offline BoyScoutKevin

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Re: Savage Messiah
« Reply #10 on: May 09, 2013, 10:04:15 PM »
Final thoughts and comments

Self-reference
There were scenes in the film that reminded me of some of Ken's later films, of which . . .

Valentino
Salome's Last Dance
Mahler
Lisztomania
Lair of the White Worm

Restraint
It certainly seems to be one of Russell's most restrained films. Certainly, the most restrained of his biographical films.

Oddity
Not odd as in "The Music Lovers" odd or even "Mahler" odd, but odd as in I can't seem to get a handle on what the film was about. And I don't like that.

Next time: Russell and Politics

Offline BoyScoutKevin

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Re: Savage Messiah
« Reply #9 on: May 03, 2013, 09:46:56 PM »
And all times are approximate.

1:22.34
Scott Anthony. The hands of a sculptor, or a stand-in?

1:28.06
Brezska is not the only artist to be killed during WWI. Among the other artists killed during the war were English writer Saki (H. H. Munro) and American poet Joyce Kilmer.

1:30.53
Original works or copies of original works?

Next time: Concluding remarks

Offline BoyScoutKevin

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Re: Savage Messiah
« Reply #8 on: April 14, 2013, 08:05:19 PM »
Continuing . . .
And all times are approximate

1:00.22 - 1:02.55
Helen Mirren. Is that Helen Mirren? It doesn't look like Helen Mirren.

1:10.30 - 1:12.31

"Break your leg!" It didn't work. Mirren didn't break her leg, and she still had to do a nude scene.

It is not only the full frontal nudity, that is amazing. It is also that the scene goes on for so long. Over 2 minutes.

To be continued . . .

Offline BoyScoutKevin

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Re: Savage Messiah
« Reply #7 on: April 09, 2013, 09:45:23 PM »
Continuing . . .
And all times are approximate.

0:46.42-0:55.26

By turns comedic and dramatic, with an ironic ending. But, does it go on too long?

0:58.48

Early on, we had Russell's water motif. Now, we have Russell's fire motif.

To be continued . . .

Offline Iain Fisher

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    • Iain Fisher
Re: Savage Messiah
« Reply #6 on: April 07, 2013, 09:37:15 PM »
"Why or why, of all the sculptors out there, did Russell pick the one he did for the subject of this film? And would not a film on the better known Rodin make a better film?"

I like Gaudier's work and I only found out about it because of Ken's film.  Whereas Rodin (who I also like) needs no promotion.

Gaudier had interesting friends such as poet Ezra Pound, and H.S. Ede's book Savage Messiah give a good insight into Gaudier, quoting from letters ("I have made the enemy angry" from the trenches).  Ken also identified with Gaudier- when he made the film he was Gaudier's age when Gaudier died (I haven't checked this!!!), and it was about an artist trying to do what he wanted to achieve without other interests interfering.

An interesting role for Lindsay Kemp as Angus Corky- Kemp is not an actor but a dancer and choreographer, and as well is famous for his work with David Bowie and Kate Bush, and he was also in Wicker Man.

Iain 

Offline BoyScoutKevin

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Re: Savage Messiah
« Reply #5 on: April 03, 2013, 09:32:21 PM »
And all times are approximate.

0:36.56
Are there any happy artists in any of Ken's theatrical films?

0:37,45
The large cat in the cage?
"Valentino?"

0:37.39
Russell likes to shock. The maid was the only normal person at the dinner party. Which does bring up one of Russell's strengths. The ability to get a passable performance out of his actors. For it is alot harder to play someone abnormal than someone normal without overdoing it.

0:40.40
Foreshadowing.

0:045.34
The banana. Where have we seen that before?
"Salome's Last Dance?"

To be continued . . .


Offline BoyScoutKevin

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Re: Savage Messiah
« Reply #4 on: March 28, 2013, 07:48:35 PM »
And all times are approximate

0:15.07
The face you know. The name you do not know. British character actor Peter Vaughan as the museum attendant.

0:18.01
The contrast between dark and light. I first notice this in "Mahler." Russell likes to contrast dark and light in his films.

0:19.10
The light. Russell likes to use unusual sources of light in his film. Here he makes use of a kerosene lamp to light the scene.

0:22.10
The hands of the hero. Whenever we see the hero draw something, is that his hands we see, or the hands of a stand-in doing the drawing?

0:23.19
Always in the background. Seldom in the foreground. Children. After we finish with this topic, we need to do a topic on "Russell and Children" in his films.

0:26.40
England. They are back in England, but they do not look happy. Again, after we finish with this topic, we need to do a topic on "Russell and England" in his films.

0:29.18
Chaplin. "Lisztomania?"

To be continued . . .

Offline BoyScoutKevin

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Re: Savage Messiah
« Reply #3 on: March 22, 2013, 08:13:45 PM »
All times are approximate.

0:00.00
Why or why, of all the sculptors out there, did Russell pick the one he did for the subject of this film? And would not a film on the better known Rodin make a better film?

0:02.44
That is an interesting remark our hero makes on the beauty of man. Is this another of Russell's films on the gay artist?

0:03.40
Less than 5 minutes into the film, and we are already into Russell's water motif.

0:04.53
Costuming. The hero and heroine are dressed alike. Both are wearing straw hats, coats, and a dark shirt with an open collar. What is up with that? I was only surprised that the heroine was not wearing bloomers or some other type of trousers.

0:08.53
Cinematography. Of all the painters seen, the only one turned towards the camera, the only face we can see, is the hero's.

0:10.31
The sexiest scene in the film. And our heroine is fully clothed. That is Russell's skill. Making sexy what otherwise would not be sexy. And that is not the only time. In "Lair of the White Worm," Amanda Donohoe, as Lady Sylvia Marsh, is far sexier when she is wearing something, then when she is stark naked.

To be continued . . .

Offline BoyScoutKevin

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Re: Savage Messiah
« Reply #2 on: March 15, 2013, 09:48:15 PM »
I appreciate everyone's patience on waiting for me to comment on the film, but I'm dependent on the local library's PAC, then only one the weekend, and then only, when it is working right, but next time I'll start with my comments on the film.

Offline BoyScoutKevin

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Savage Messiah
« Reply #1 on: February 09, 2013, 10:43:29 PM »
Introduction
As I have never seen this film by Ken Russell, and as the film is apparently in its full length version available on YouTube, I will be watching the film as I can and then posting my thoughts on it here at this website.