I happened upon this little black and white film made by the enfant terrible Ken Russell in the 1960s. It is strangely compelling and reminds me of all the unusual characters that abounded in London. Post war folk striving to be something else to lift their lives from the hum drum.
If you have time grab a cuppa and prepare to be enchanted.
"The past is a foreign country they do things differently there". L.P. Hartley, The Go-Between.
That was fascinating and seemingly it is the house that Ken Russell lived in, in 1960, with all his neighbours playing themselves in the film. Thanks for sharing it, I didn't mean to sit and watch it all but it had me hooked. I liked the thought of 'taking the goldfish out for some fresh air'. :-)
ReplyDeleteThanks Sue. I found it fascinating and I didn't realise Russell himself had been a resident.
DeleteAlthough this film can never be as relatable to me as it is to you as an Englander, I found it fascinating - albeit a bit bittersweet. How he got to the essence of the characters so deeply in less than 30 minutes is genius.
ReplyDeleteIt has the flavour of my childhood, which I love.
DeleteThank you for sharing that fascinating little film, Jean. And I've always loved that L.P. Hartley quote! xxx
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome, I'm glad you enjoyed it.
DeleteMay come back to this at a later date, but thanks for sharing the video here.
ReplyDeleteAll the best Jan
Thanks Jan. I know it's a bit long and I wouldn't normally sit through something as long. But the 'characters' are so interesting especially the dancer. The histories of the folk featured are fascinating and complex. A refreshing change from today.
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