Savage Messiah

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source: Savage Messiah

Trailer—Savage Messiah

Savage Messiah

Hello everybody; I remember watching this film when I was 12 years old in a late night show on a local channel and it blew my mind. Since then I have never found a copy even on VHS (I am sure it is not yet released on DVD). If someone knows where can I buy a copy (used, doesn't matter) I will greatly appreciate the information. About the movie I can say (Sorry for the blah blah but I need to fill the ten lines in order to post this), what I remember the most is the intensity of the performances and the beautifully crafted direction of photography. Russell is a superb director that knows exactly where to look for the right film crew. This is one of the best films I have ever seen and had an ever lasting impact in me as a person and as an artist. Henry Gaudier's story is compelling and dramatic. Although his life as an artist was short and turbulent his work (mostly sculptures and a few sketches) endure. thanks

Ken Russell made entertaining films; you would be unlikely to fall asleep during your first viewing of any of them. He was at the top of his game in the 1970s when 'Savage Messiah' was made (his previous film was 'The Boy Friend' starring Twiggy). This one is a biopic about French artist/sculptor Henri Gaudier portrayed here as unconventional, out-of-control, over-the-top, and his love for an older Polish woman writer. She is played by Dorothy Tutin who wins the film's acting honours hands down. The DVD released by Warner in 2011 has moments where the sound is slightly out of sync, especially during Helen Mirren's scenes; perhaps the editors were thinking about something else. Ms Mirren, in her late-20s here, cuts a striking figure as a suffragette and obliges us by appearing in her birthday suit.

I'm a huge Ken Russell fan, but this one is just a disaster, the movie is filled with Russell's trademark sumptuous visuals, but the main character spends the entire movie shrieking artistic clichés. The magic of Ken Russell is that he transports you to his own romantic view of the world, where the artist struggles to transcend the banalities of everyday life. But in this case it just falls flat, maybe if Oliver Reed had been cast as the main character, he would have lent the movie some of his characteristic intensity, but as it stands, the main character is woefully miscast. Not a patch on Song of Summer or Women in Love.

It's about art and the love for art, but not artistically shot as other Russell films. On a scale from 1 to 10( Lisztomania being 10, the maximum Russell), this one is probably a 3. The two main characters has an unique and interesting relationship, but not amicable since they are both loud, rude and crazy. They are annoying and not very enjoyable to watch. For someone who lives in NYC, they do remind me of the frantic hipsters I see on the streets everyday... On a scale from 1 to 10( Women in Love being 10, the maximum enjoyable, for me anyways), this one is likely a 3 also. However after some research I found out that both of them have mental illness(No way!). I wish I knew that before so maybe I would have enjoyed the movie more? The lines are very good, values too(10 outta 10), if you love art you are bond to adore this movie, one way or another.

Ken Russell's take on the life of Gaudia Brzeska is irreverant and a little flippant. Perhaps that is just as well, because clearly someone who was able to produce the quantity and quality of work that Brzeska did during his short life, must have had something like mad energy portrayed in this film. Had he lived, he might have been as well known as Picasso. There are flaws, it looks very dated to the 70's, but if this film had not been made, I probably would not have heard of him.

This one is arty in such an unconventional and politically incorrect way, that surprises the viewer. Though old in style, it's 'fresh' in ideas and context. It's the 3rd or 4rth Ken Russel film I got to see. Altered states, Music lover, Gothic, all rule in their own universe. And so does Savage Messiah. RECOMMENDED TO ALL WHO ARE INTERESTED IN THE TRUE NATURE OF ART I sure loved it!