Savage Messiah (1972)

Biographical film of the life of French sculptor Henri Gaudier-Brzeska.

Director:

Ken Russell

Writers:

Christopher Logue (screenplay), H.S. Ede (book)

Stars:

Dorothy Tutin, Scott Antony, Helen Mirren

Nominated for 1 BAFTA Film Award.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Dorothy Tutin	...	Sophie Brzeska
Scott Antony	...	Henri Gaudier
Helen Mirren	...	Gosh Boyle
Lindsay Kemp	...	Angus Corky
Michael Gough	...	M. Gaudier
John Justin	...	Lionel Shaw
Aubrey Richards	...	Mayor
Peter Vaughan	...	Museum Attendant
Ben Aris	...	Thomas Buff
Eleanor Fazan	...	Mdme. Gaudier
Otto Diamant	...	Mr. Saltzman
Imogen Claire	...	Mavis Coldstream
Maggy Maxwell	...	Tart
Susanna East	...	Pippa
Judith Paris	...	Kate

Storyline

Biographical film of the life of French sculptor Henri Gaudier-Brzeska.

---

Plot Keywords:

artist | nudity | nude modeling | female frontal nudity | art | 

---

Taglines:

All art is sex!

---

Genres:

Biography | Drama

---

Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

September 1972 (UK)

Also Known As:

Barbár messiás

Filming Locations:

Bath, Somerset, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Russ-Arts

Technical Specs

Runtime:

103 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Did You Know?

Trivia

In order to save money, copies of uncopyrighted Soviet recordings of Claude Debussy and Alexander Scriabin were made.

---

Quotes

Henri Gaudier: Ah, you'll like my mother. She's wonderful.
Sophie Brzeska: I thought your mother lived in the country.
Henri Gaudier: Oh, that's my natural mother. My real mother is...
[produces photograph]
Sophie Brzeska: The Louvre! Aww, rubbish. 'Pretentious townhouse full of junk stolen from savages.'
Henri Gaudier: Art is made from art.
Sophie Brzeska: That's not what you said yesterday...
Henri Gaudier: That was yesterday!
Sophie Brzeska: Look! You said, and don't you dare tell me I'm wrong, that today's art cannot be made from anything except today!
Henri Gaudier: And where do you think today comes from, huh? Yesterday. Or ...
[...]

---

Connections

Featured in A British Picture (1989)

---

Soundtracks

"It's a Long Way to Tipperary"
(uncredited)
Written by Jack Judge and Harry Williams

User Reviews

A wild Ken Russell biopic.

Savage Messiah is perhaps the least famous of Ken Russell's biopics from the early-to-mid 70s. He made films about Tchaikovsky (The Music Lovers), Lizst (Lizstomania), and Mahler (Mahler) during this period, and in this offering his subject is the French sculptor Henri Gaudier-Brzeska. Gaudier-Brzeska, though not a household name, is certainly an interesting character and this film is a worthwhile experience for anyone who wants to find out more about him, or anyone who has an interest in his career.

It is, however, typically erratic and in-your-face, as most of Russell's pictures are. There's sex and nudity, lots of bitter and angry dialogue, and heaps of soul searching. In real life, Gaudier-Brzeska married a Polish noblewoman twenty years his senior and was tragically killed during WW1. Russell revels in exploring the complexity of their relationship, but he makes little of Gaudier-Brzeska's wartime experiences (which in actual fact might have been well worth showing in more detail).

I like this film because it is fast-paced, unconventional and witty. Having said that, I wouldn't put it in my list of all time favourites because it lacks warmth and narrative clarity. It's not as intense as Russell's The Devils, but it stands alongside that film of one of his better motion pictures.