# Savage Messiah (1972)

### reviewed by
Pedro Sena

    FILM TITLE:               SAVAGE MESSIAH
    DIRECTOR:               KEN RUSSELL
    COUNTRY:                ENGLAND 1972
    CINEMATOGRAPHY: Dick Bush
    MUSIC:                     Michael Garrett III, Dorothy Tutin, with
    additional music by Debussy and Scriabin
    CAST:                       Scott Anthony, Dorothy Tutin, Helen Mirren
    SUPER FEATURES:  Story of Henri Gaudier-Brzeska, the French Sculptor

             !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am partial to some film biographies of artists. Some are overly creative but I have always felt that this was good for the art form, as long as it did not make the whole thing look stupid.

Ken Russell was, and still is, one of the masters of biographies. His young days consisted of a series of BBC specials on the lives of various artists. Some of them were exceptional, though they have never hit the larger screen, or their release as videos have been deemed to the vaults of the tight lipped BBC conglomerate. ( Ditto for THE GOONS ). Of special mention, were one on Dante Gabriel Rossetti, and one on Isadora Duncan. But the BBC seems to not be that interested in releasing these things which have been around for ages, and deserve to appear in video or dvd.

This very special, subtle, and funny film, is, a quiet film, much like MAHLER, about a second rate artist during the early decade of this century. While he was spending his time doing his sculptures and other projects, he basically paid for his art by creating copies of original art works, which some collectors and their agents were trading for obscene amounts of money.

As he becomes better known, he is eventually trapped by authorities, but decides to go off to war, instead. The story continues, and like the furtive personality that the main character lives under, the film pulls off the same on us. It is how we find out what happened to him. And an ensuing display of his art, is a wonderful tribute to a man that deserved a lot better, and is finally getting a bit of his due, were it not that he was known to be one of the finest copy makers ever. If anything, like MAHLER, this film is not an extravaganza waiting to explode as so many of the films Ken Russell has done. This film is "quiet", subtle, and really smooth. It is a real well made exercise in the life of an artist, few films of which can bring it about so well.

There are some exceptional performances in this film, Dorothy Tutin, and a young Helen Mirren come to mind off the bat, and they make this film a real treat. It's worth mentioning that Dorothy Tutin added some of the soundtrack music to this film, and if anything Tommy aside, this film has some excellent use of music, which is one of Ken Russell's trademarks. Worth seeing anytime. It is not boring at all.

    4.5 GIBLOONS
    Copyright (c) Pedro Sena 1994

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