28/11/2011

Iconic and controversial British director Henry Kenneth Alfred Russell, popularly known as Ken Russell died in his sleep on Sunday. He was 84.

Russell leaves behind an astonishing and eclectic body of work comprising some 71 titles across the world of feature films, television, documentaries and video. A true renaissance man, Russell worked in the Royal Air Force and the Merchant Navy and dabbled in dance and photography before moving into television.

After a groundbreaking career in television, Russell made his feature debut with the comedy French Dressing (1963), the British version of Roger Vadim’s And God Created Woman. The spy film Billion Dollar Brain (1967), starring Michael Caine, followed. It was the D.H. Lawrence adaptation Women In Love (1969) that made the world take notice of Russell. Besides its cerebral exploration of European tumult in the second half of the 60s, the film also gained notoriety for the bold display of frontal male nudity in its famous wrestling scene. Russell scored his only Best Director Oscar nomination for the film.

After directing the Tchaikovsky biopic The Music Lovers (1970), Russell made what is considered to be the most controversial film of his oeuvre – The Devils (1971). Russell’s frank portrayal of sexuality in the church led to both outrage and acclaim. Ironically, the British Film Institute announced recently that the DVD of the film will be made available for the first time ever, more than 40 years after release, in March 2012. Russell won a Silver Ribbon for Best Director at Venice in 1972 for the film.

Of his later works, Altered States (1980) is of note, being his only science fiction film. His twilight years saw him turn to opera and return to television.