Moving from music to sculpture Russell comes up with Savage Messiah, one of his cult masterpieces about Henri Gaudier in 1972.  The film was largely self-financed by Russell which made its commercial failure a particular blow.  Gaudier meets the much older and prim Sophie Brzeska. They develop a friendship leading to them sharing names (Gaudier Brzeska) though they never married.  Ken Russell's imagery is as always breathtaking.
 

In one of Russell's best scenes Brzeska waits for Gaudier at a station.

The train comes and goes but no Gaudier. Another train leaves and there is Gaudier on the wrong platform, arms full of roses for Brzeska. He runs towards her, jumping from platform to rails. He slips as a train emerges but rather than escape the train he picks up the roses, at the last moment avoiding the wheels of the train and falling into Brzeska´s arms.

Gaudier joins the war. The superb line "I have succeeded in making the enemy angry..." is a true letter quoted in H.S. Ede´s biography of Gaudier. The film ends, just as Ede´s book does, with Gaudier´s work.

Gaudier could be seen as Russell's fictional autobiographical character. When Russell read H.S. Ede´s biography he was the same age as Gaudier "I was impressed by Gaudier´s conviction that somehow or other there was a spark in the core of him that was personal to him, which was worth turning into something that could be appreciated by others." Russell also says (Films and Filming Oct 1972) "I wanted this film to be totally different from the big companies and back into the small studio, back to the BBC sort of style with a small unit".

Alex Russell, Ken's son, who plays a role in the film, says "On Savage Messiah, I remember when filming on the sea coast some oil or tar was on the lens of the 35ml camera; but was not discovered till the evenings rushes screening: so a whole days shooting was ruined! Also: the rain seen was done via the fire brigade pumping salt water straight from the sea! Also: the Gaudier Breshka charcoal and pastel drawings (well faked) for the film were later stolen and sold as originals down Bond Street and at Sotheby's!"
 

People

Scott Antony plays the sculptor and Dorothy Tutin his mistress.

Helen Mirren appears in one of her first film roles.
Photography is by Dick Bush. Editing is again by Michael Bradsell and costumes by Shirley Russell. Derek Jarman provides the sets.

The dancer/choreographer Lindsay Kemp makes an acting appearance.
 

Best Image

The opening credit sequence with Gaudier drawing the bones of a hand, the pen scraping the paper.

Best Scene

The last but one major scene with the talking heads cut with the dancer. The perfect mix of loud music, sharp cutting and glaring colours.

The last major scene where Russell simply shows the beauty of Gaudier´s sculptures. The Edinburgh Museum of Modern Art has a room of Gaudier´s work including many of the ones Ken Russell shows.
 

Themes

The scene with a general in full uniform on a horse inside a room being painted is revived in Prisoners of Honor with the officer in Roman dress.

In one scene it appears as if Gaudier will be killed by a train.
The victory celebrations are very similar to those in Tommy.
 

Gaudier´s studio (left) is almost identical to the workers area in Fritz Lang's Metropolis (right).
 

Films

Other films released in the same year include The Godfather and Lady Sings the Blues.
 

Click title for film French Dressing * Billion Dollar Brain * Women in Love * The Music Lovers* The Devils * The Boy Friend * Savage Messiah * Mahler * Tommy * Lisztomania * Valentino * Altered States * Crimes of Passion * Gothic * Aria * The Lair of the White Worm * Salome's Last Dance * The Rainbow * Whore * Mindbender * Trapped Ashes/ The Girl with the Golden Breasts