Ken Russell - Delius - Song of Summer (1968) 1/5

Based on Eric Fenby's 1936 memoir 'Delius as I knew him', it traces the last years of Frederick Delius, and Fenby's dedication in giving up five years of his life to helping the blind, paralysed composer set down the unfinished scores he could hear in his head. Perhaps the finest of the series of biographical films that Ken Russell made for the BBC arts series "Monitor" in the Sixties, Song of Summer is an immensely moving story of sacrifice, idealism and musical genius.

Category:

Film & Animation

Tags:

• Song
• of
• Summer
• Frederick
• Delius
• Ken
• Russell
• Monitor
• 1968
• Philip
• Kemp

[eglantinelass]

I'm looking at this because Russell has just died and I was unfamiliar with the BBC's 'Monitor' series until I read his obituary.

Can anyone explain to me why the British in these sorts of films, after spending 30 years living in France, are always still unable to speak or pronounce the bloody language?

[xenbay]

@eglantinelass French is taught as a second language in England so many British people can speak some..the same can't be said of French and English...so maybe the question you should be asking is why French people aren't speaking English, which is after all the international language :P

[rvic11]

I've just discovered this film. All I knew of Ken Russell before, was that he made the Who's awful "Tommy" film and was on Big Brother!

But this is incredible. I've only watched part one and I'm hooked! Incredible film making. I'm going to listen a lot more Delius.

[Marvelouscortex]

Russell said of this film, it was his finest work

[txikilin]

Thanks very much for uploading this. Now I am being hooked with Delius and Vaughan Williams music. I didn't know this could possibly exist.

[steeeeevve]

This is the greatest memorial to Ken Russell.

[notsajdivad]

Bold and gripping film but with intrusive directorial hands.

And where is Delius`s Yorkshire accent? It was meant to be quite pronounced.

Max Adrian sounds too Rada.

[eglantinelass]

@xenbay I've lived much of my life in both France and the UK, and am well aware of all that. The question I'm asking is why is it that super-educated English folk in films who've spent 30 years living in France are never able to speak French properly. That's a very specific question.

You are quite right that the French have a habit of resisting English acquisition, but that's a whole other kettle of fish.

[DirkME1022]

Will check tomorrow on my 42" TV :-)) Thanks M8 ;-)