The Rainbow (1989)

Director:

Ken Russell

Writers:

Ken Russell (screenplay) and
Vivian Russell (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

26 May 1989 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

A young woman deals in her own personal way with the trials of adolescence and young adulthood in early 1900s England.

Plot Keywords:

Lesbian | Female Nudity | Lesbianism | Sexuality | Remake

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Sammi Davis	...	Ursula Brangwen
Paul McGann	...	Anton Skrebensky
Amanda Donohoe	...	Winifred Inger
Christopher Gable	...	Will Brangwen
David Hemmings	...	Uncle Henry
Glenda Jackson	...	Anna Brangwen
Dudley Sutton	...	MacAllister
Jim Carter	...	Mr. Harby
Judith Paris	...	Miss Harby
Kenneth Colley	...	Mr. Brunt (as Ken Colley)
Glenda McKay	...	Gudrun Brangwen
Mark Owen	...	Jim Richards
Ralph Nossek	...	Vicar
Nicola Stephenson	...	Ethel
Molly Russell	...	Molly Brangwen

Runtime:

113 min

Country:

UK | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor®)

Sound Mix:

Dolby (as Dolby Stereo)

Certification:

Canada:R (Nova Scotia/Ontario) | Australia:M | UK:15 (video rating) (1989) | Argentina:13 | Canada:18 (Nova Scotia) | Canada:R (Ontario) | Ireland:18 | UK:15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Borrowdale, Lake District, Cumbria, England, UK

Company:

Vestron Pictures

Trivia:

The last film of Christopher Gable

Movie Connections:

Version of "The Rainbow" (1988)

How I miss Ken Russell's films.

Ursula (Sammi Davis) lives in the English countryside with her happy-go-lucky dad (Christopher Gable), her stoic mom (Glenda Jackson, who played an older Ursula in "Women in Love"), her sister, Gudrun (Glenda McKay), and assorted other Brangwens. The family lives comfortably thanks to the generosity of Uncle Henry (David Hemmings), who owns the local mines. Ursula is introduced to lesbianism by her school's gym instructor (Amanda Donohoe), and is deflowered by a soldier (Paul McGann). She decides to become a teacher, and her family secures for her a position at the local school, where she has difficulty imposing discipline. Despite her strong feelings for her soldier, she refuses to become the wife of a member of the British foreign service, and chooses rather to be a spinster, and to love whom she wants when she wants.

How I miss Ken Russell's extravaganzas! I don't even know whether this picture was released in the U.S. Had I known of it, I would have rushed out to see it. "Women in Love" remains one of my favorite movies of all time.

Ken Russell mixes high emotion with the intellectual stimulation and provides substantial cinematic dynamite. Whereas "Women in Love" has a scene of Ursula vs. the bulls, this film has Ursula running from the wild horses. While "Women in Love" provided a nude wrestling scene between two men, this film has a nude love scene between two women. The scene of the soldier climbing naked up the rocks is an amazing spectacle.

The cinematic rainbow is practically candy-colored--not meant at all to resemble a real rainbow. It provides the opening and closing of the film, as Ursula seeks to go to it. Her father recreates a rainbow out of edible treats, but Ursula does not want the real thing, only the fantasy.

The movie is a treat from beginning to end. It is stimulating in every way--the music is superb, the acting captivating, the visuals stunning. Highly recommended.