RIP Ken Russell

Sad news about film maker Ken Russell. He was known for his pioneering work in television and film and for his controversial style. Russell was criticised as being over-obsessed with sexuality and the church. His subject matter was often about famous composers, or based on other works of art which he adapts loosely. Russell began directing for the BBC, where he did creative adaptations of composers' lives which were unusual for the time. He also directed many feature films independently and for studios.
Russell died in a hospital on Sunday, November 27th following a series of strokes, his son Alex Verney-Elliott said Monday. "My father died peacefully," Verney-Elliott said. "He died with a smile on his face."

The opening of his Mahler film:


And the full version of his movie on Tchaikovsky:


Here is an interview with Russell about Lisztomania coming out on DVD back in 2009:

-host John Clare