1967 Dante's Inferno

Oliver Reed again stars this time as Dante Gabriel Rosetti who out of love buried his poetry with his dead lover, only later to have it exhumed as his creative talents have faded and he needs the poems to sustain his reputation.

Again a spectacular start by Russell, the light shining on the coffin being raised, the poems pulled from the skeleton's hand, followed by the carnival with Reed jumping through the bonfire.

One of Russell's best works, full of atmosphere, imagery, lighting.  Compare the image (left) with Metropolis/ Bride of Frankenstein. This image comes back for example in Aria.  And the image (right) with The Cabinet of Dr Caligari and Peepshow. (photo from Hanke´s book)

Alongside Reed are Judith Paris, Andrew Faulds, Iza Teller as Christina Rosetti and Gala Mitchell. Derek Boshier, one of the artists from Pop Goes the Easel, plays Millais. The script was co-written by Russell and Austin Frazer.

Click title for film Picture Stories (Charlotte Bronte) * Peepshow * Knights on Bikes * Amelia and the Angel, Lourdes * Poet's London * Gordon Jacob * Guitar Crazy * Variations on a mechanical theme, Two Painters * portrait of a Goon * Marie Rambert remembers * Architecture and entertainment * Cranks at Work * The miner's picnic * Shelagh Delaney's Salford * A house in Bayswater * The light fantastic * London Moods * Antonio Gaudi * Lotte Lenya sings Kurt Weill * Old Battersea House * Portrait of a Soviet Composer * Pop goes the easel * Preservation man * Mr Chesher´s traction engines * Elgar * Watch the birdie * The lonely shore * Bartok * The dotty world of James Lloyd * Diary of a nobody * The Debussy Film * Always on a Sunday * Don't shoot the composer * Isadora * Dante's Inferno * Song of Summer * Dance of the Seven Veils * William and Dorothy * The Rime of the Ancient Mariner * ABC of British Music * A British Picture * The Planets * Vaughan Williams * The Strange Affliction of Anton Bruckner * The Secret Life of Sir Arnold Bax * The Mystery of Doctor Martinu * Classic Widows * In Search of the English Folk Song * Stories of Seduction * Prisoners of Honor * Lady Chatterley * Alice in Russialand * Ken Russell's Treasure Island * Tales of Erotica * Dogboys, Brighton Belles * Elgar A Portrait of the Composer on a Bicycle * Lion's Mouth * The Fall of the Louse of Usher * Revenge of the Elephant Man (Hot Pants 1) * the Mystery of Mata Hari (Hot Pants 2) * The Goodship Venus (Hot Pants 3) * Advertisements * Trial of the Century * She's So Beautiful * Phantom of the Opera * Nikita, Cry for Heaven * Diana * Its all coming back to me now * Teenager in Love * The Death of Scriabin