Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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79 of 80 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Song of Summer released at Last, 23 Sep 2001
After over thirty years, Ken Russell's exquisite portrait of the last years of Frederick Delius is available for sale. Those of us who taped the original 1968 production will remember the opening moments in which the young Fenby accompanied a silent Laurel and Hardy film - a rude awakening to a moving production whose other music is exclusively by Delius himself. The Laurel and Hardy copyright prevented the earlier commercial release of this production; here the problem is solved by omitting it entirely. The action therefore begins with the next scene, idyllically by the sea, north of Scarborough, as Fenby (played by the late Christopher Gable) notes down the sounds of nature. The rest of the film is presented uncut. It is a moving work of genius, which Russell claims to be his greatest creation.The DVD includes a brief printed biography of Russell and a full-length spoken director's commentary. The latter is particularly enlightening, commenting not only on how the film and its individual scenes came to be made, but also on Russell's relationship with Eric Fenby - who provided the main source of material from his book 'Delius as I knew him' - and with the three main actors, Max Adrian as Delius, Maureen Prior as his wife and Christopher Gable as the young Fenby. As Russell confirms in his commentary, Fenby felt that it was absolutely true to character. Eric Fenby was renowned in his later life, as was Delius, for the plain-speaking that is characteristic of Yorkshiremen. I was privileged to know him personally and can confirm his admiration of how Max Adrian followed his suggestions to act precisely like Delius. Maureen Pryor's performance had an Englishness that was not entirely in keeping with the character of Delius's German wife Jelka, and Christopher Gable's otherwise profound performance was framed with a Yorkshire accent that would have provoked amusement from both himself and Delius. As Russell remarks, the small budget for the film meant that they were unable to use Delius's original house in Grez-sur-loing. This makes Percy Grainger's trick of throwing a ball over the roof, running through the house and catching it on the other side an amazing feat The original Delius house has a broad opening in the middle going from the road straight to the garden, making the task somewhat easier, though still remarkable. Likewise other aspects show Russell's fertile imagination outstripping the truth. Delius purchased several masterpieces from his circle in Paris, including Gaugin's 'Nevermore', but he did not possess 'the scream' by Munch which the film shows on the wall in Fenby's room. Such trivia pale into total insignificance compared with the inspired characterisations of the performers and the unerring rightness of Russell's choice of Delius's music. The perfection of the climax of 'Song of the High Hills' as Delius is carried to the top of a mountain to see his last sunset is an unforgettable moment of sheer genius. Now, at last, it is available for us all to savour.
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20 of 22 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Very moving piece of work, and quite beautiful, 3 Sep 2003
I bought this on a bit of a whim...many of BFI's dvds have been works of clever people/ geni and this is one of them. A knowledge of the works of Delius are not required; the film explains itself quite beautifully and is acted out with exquisite taste. The end was most tastefully done (get a tissue ready) and this is a dvd to treasure. I cannot recommend this highly enough. But I shall try to. GO ON... BUY THIS!!!!!!
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Probably the greatest British short film ever made., 30 Aug 2008
And its not so very short so it's a very strong contender for the greatest British film. Yes I know it's up against Michael Powell, and Carol Reed and Lean's Great Expectations and Oliver Twist but they do all seem a bit dated now and this doesn't, nor will it. Moreover against Powell and Reid it has the advantage of the subject matter.
Of course it's always been a heresy in the aesthetics of modern art to give weight to the subject matter, but I don't care. I resent having to waste admiration on some brilliant treatment of distasteful, trivial, marginal, or soon just part of history, subject matter. And to hell with film history. Lets just take the subject matter seriously into account for once as well as the treatment - because, don't misunderstand me, the treatment here is every bit in the 'arthouse' style. Russell could do it when he wanted to.
To tell the truth the only reason I don't make the outright claim for this being the best British film (despite it being made for television on a small budget in case you didn't know) is that I make that claim for Russell's 'The Music Lovers' a film on the same sort of subject but in an entirely different style. Whereas this is naturalistic the Tchaikovsky film is expressionistic and stylised in a way not very far removed from Powell's work.
This is of course a film about a great composer and his music and for that reason, as the music combines with the lyrical/naturalistic texture of the film itself, there is more than usual reason to return to it for further viewings.
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