Themes: Tortured Genius, Age Disparity Romance, Bohemian Life
Main Cast: Dorothy Tutin, Scott Antony, Helen Mirren, Lindsay Kemp, Michael Gough
Release Year: 1972
Country: UK
Run Time: 100 minutes
Plot
Based on the book of the same name by H.S. Ede, eccentric director Ken Russell created this biographical drama of a great early 20th century artist who died tragically young. Henri Gaudier (Scott Anthony) is only 18 years old, a self-taught Parisian sculptor of enormous talent but prone to rash, exuberant behavior. Henri meets and begins a platonic but emotionally intense relationship with Sophie Brzeksa (Dorothy Tutin), a cultured Polish woman 20 years his senior. The relationship between Henri and Sophie remains inspired and impassioned, if not sexual, and her air of intelligent refinement positively impacts his life and work. Eventually, the couple moves to London, where Henri takes his partner's last name, and his star rises in the art world as the chief proponent of Vorticism, an offshoot of Cubism and Futurism. In real life, Henri Gaudier-Brzeska was a signer of the Vorticist Manifesto and a founder of The London School along with his patron, Ezra Pound, but his genius was not recognized until after his death. Gaudier-Brzeska was killed at the age of only 24 in WWI, a French Army hero who had been twice promoted for bravery. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
John Justin - Lionel Shaw; Ben Aris - Thomas Buff; Otto Diamant - Mr. Saltzman; Howard Goorney - Gendarme; Alexei Jawdokimov - Library Student; Robert Lang - Maj. Boyle; Judith Paris - Kate; Aubrey Richards - Mayor; Peter Vaughan - Louvre Attendant; Henry Woolf - Gendarme; Imogen Claire - Mavis Coldstream; Eleanor Fazan - Mme. Gaudier; Claire Marshall - Maid; Maggie Maxwell - Tart; Paul McDowell - Agitator
Credit
George Lack - Art Director, Harry Benn - Associate Producer, Shirley Russell - Costume Designer, Graham Ford - First Assistant Director, Ken Russell - Director, Michael Bradsell - Editor, Michael Garrett - Composer (Music Score), Dorothy Tutin - Songwriter, Freddie Williamson - Makeup, Derek Jarman - Production Designer, Dick Bush - Cinematographer, Neville C. Thompson - Production Manager, Ken Russell - Producer, Ian Whittaker - Set Designer, Christopher Logue - Screenwriter, H.S. Ede - Book Author
Elgar (1962, TV) ·French Dressing (1963) ·The Debussy Film (1965, TV) ·Always On Sunday (1965, TV) ·Isadora Duncan, The Biggest Dancer In The World (1966, TV) ·Dante's Inferno (1967, TV) ·Billion Dollar Brain (1967) ·Song of Summer (1968, TV) ·Women in Love (1969)
