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Savage Messiah: Ken Russell => Savage Messiah: Ken Russell => Topic started by: Iain Fisher on January 20, 2014, 12:26:28 AM

Title: Derek Jarman season: Savage Messiah and Aria
Post by: Iain Fisher on January 20, 2014, 12:26:28 AM
The British Film Institute have a major season of Derek Jarman films (20 showings).   These include Ken's Savage Messiah where Jarman did the scenery, and the compilation film with contributions from Ken and also Derek as a director.

The season is on from 5-24 Feb 2014.

Iain
Title: Re: Derek Jarman season: Savage Messiah and Aria
Post by: Iain Fisher on February 08, 2014, 10:47:49 PM
Savage Messiah is on tomorrow.  Before I see it again, from memory my favourite moments:
- the opening with the hand being drawn on paper
- Gaudier carving in stone throughout the night
- Gaudier on the train line as the train approaches
- the letter from Gaudier in the war, "I have succeeded in making the enemy angry" (the quote is direct from H.S. Ede's book)
- the final scene when the sculptures of Gaudier are shown

Iain
Title: Re: Derek Jarman season: Savage Messiah and Aria
Post by: Iain Fisher on February 09, 2014, 08:48:49 AM
There will be a VERY special guest.

Iain
Title: Re: Derek Jarman season: Savage Messiah and Aria
Post by: Iain Fisher on February 10, 2014, 12:46:35 AM
Scott Antony was there.  I helped it happen along with Lisi Russell (and I bought his ticket!!).  A really nice guy, and some people were in tears talking to him.

More soon...
Title: Re: Derek Jarman season: Savage Messiah and Aria
Post by: Iain Fisher on February 11, 2014, 01:07:28 AM
More on this but for now.

In the National Film Theatre (British Film Institute) I told Scott Antony that his film was a cult classic, and he (with typically modesty) said he didn't think so.  As we were talking a girl in her 20s heard us and she told us Savage Messiah was about to be shown.  I told her this was Scott Antony, and she was almost in tears.  She said she was coming to see the film with a friend.  After the film she came again with her friend, and both were almost in tears.  The film was made decades before they were born.

After the showing of the film many people wanted to tell Scott how good his performance was, and how the film changed their lives.

I think this was pretty clear proof the film is a classic, and I hope Scott realised this.

Iain
Title: Re: Derek Jarman season: Savage Messiah and Aria
Post by: Iain Fisher on February 11, 2014, 09:46:05 PM
Murray Melvin, Georgina Hale (both The Devils and tons more), cult figure Scott Antony and me.  The photo is by Lisi Russell, Ken's wife.

(http://www.iainfisher.com/russell/Scott-Antony.jpg)
Title: Re: Derek Jarman season: Savage Messiah and Aria
Post by: BoyScoutKevin on February 16, 2014, 08:06:26 PM
Savage Messiah is on tomorrow.  Before I see it again, from memory my favourite moments:
- the opening with the hand being drawn on paper
- Gaudier carving in stone throughout the night
- Gaudier on the train line as the train approaches
- the letter from Gaudier in the war, "I have succeeded in making the enemy angry" (the quote is direct from H.S. Ede's book)
- the final scene when the sculptures of Gaudier are shown



Iain

This film is regarded as being one of Ken's best films, and it probably is one of his best films, but unlike most of Ken's films which I have seen, I can't pick out any scene that totally tops any of the other scenes.,
Title: Re: Derek Jarman season: Savage Messiah and Aria
Post by: Iain Fisher on February 20, 2014, 06:19:09 PM
Aria on tomorrow, I'll be there. The compilation film includes directors Ken, Derek Jarman (didn't like his section), Goddard, Altman, Charles Sturridge and Franc Roddam (all good bits) plus some mediocre stuff by Roeg and others.

Ken's bit is one of my favourite Ken films.
Title: Re: Derek Jarman season: Savage Messiah and Aria
Post by: Iain Fisher on March 10, 2014, 09:56:09 PM
Quote
This film is regarded as being one of Ken's best films, and it probably is one of his best films, but unlike most of Ken's films which I have seen, I can't pick out any scene that totally tops any of the other scenes.,

I like the train scene (he has flowers but almost gets killed by the train delivering them), carving in marble (a long almost hypnotic scene), and the final scene showing Gaudier's works
Title: Re: Derek Jarman season: Savage Messiah and Aria
Post by: Iain Fisher on March 10, 2014, 09:58:59 PM
Quote
Aria on tomorrow, I'll be there. The compilation film includes directors Ken, Derek Jarman (didn't like his section), Goddard, Altman, Charles Sturridge and Franc Roddam (all good bits) plus some mediocre stuff by Roeg and others.

It was so good seeing the film on a screen.  It was the last film of Ken's I saw on general release (as distinct from a special showing).  And in a film with lots of really good sequences, Ken's one still stands out for me.  I found it really emotional.  Lisi, Ken's wife, was in tears.