This is one of the greatest art documentaries ever made. The young Ken Russell was innovative in just about every aspect of this astonishing semi-documentary profile of the composer Elgar. The BBC would only let him use actors in long shots and they were not allowed to speak. However, Russell transcended those limitations with apparently effortless ease, and thereby created a new genre altogether. The final shot of the film is one of the most moving in any motion picture. Elgar's personality and vicissitudes come across powerfully, with pathos and sympathy, and an extensive and inspired use of his music. The shots of the Malvern Hills of Worcestershire as they were in 1961 are astonishing, a reminder of how irrevocably the English landscape has changed. Everyone with the slightest interest in music or in England should see this film. It is irresistible.
Review of Elgar: Portrait of a Composer
