Sound and Image: Music in the Films of Ken Russell

I discovered Ken Russell in 2022 and have been steadily working through his filmography since. One of the things I admire most about his works is their marriage of sound and image, hence this tribute. The credits given in this video are drawn from IMDB and Letterboxd, for the crew members who likely played the largest roles in how the clipped scenes played out. After some deliberation, I decided to only include actors names if they were dancing or singing.

Russell is credited as the director of 84 films, so you'll have to forgive me that not every single one is featured. Some notes on excluded films:
-Salome's Last Dance (1988): Adore this one. It would absolutely be included were all its musical scenes not obscene (said with affection).
-The Rainbow (1989) and Whore (1991): I enjoyed both these films, but when I rewatched, I didn't come across any musical moments I wanted to include. I'm sure I could have found a way, but the video is long enough as it is.
-The Planets (1983) and Russell's segment from Aria (1987): Both would have been in this video if I had been able to find downloads of them.
-Lisztomania (1975): Excluded because I don't like it. There are actually some great scenes in there, I could have found one to clip, but I didn't feel like going through the trouble. It's a shame because there's a lot about the movie I like, but overall, I find it to be a waste of talent.
Other features: Excluded because they're bad, they didn't have any musical moments, they aren't "Ken Russell" enough (think Billion Dollar Brain), or because they're impossible to get a hold of.

Notes on included scenes:
-Women in Love: I had lots of scenes to choose from. I really like Hermione's dance from near the beginning of the film, as well as the infamous homoerotic wrestling match. But the first didn't clip well, and the second could get the video flagged. I went with "Pretty Bubbles" and attack on the bulls instead. Had to let Glenda Jackson have her moment, and besides, it showcases a dramatic shift in tone which I love.
-Gothic: I liked this one, but on rewatching, I realized the music is kinda generic, rare for a Russell film. Ended up choosing the most eye-catching scene.
-Dante's Inferno: Not actually a film version of the Divine Comedy, but instead a BBC production about the life of Dante Rossetti. Didn't love this one, but the opening scene is cool.
-Crimes of Passion: An unfairly maligned film, I really liked it. Luckily for me there's a sequence I felt like including and wasn't sexually explicit. If not for censorship concerns, I would have included the scene with the cop. You know the one.
-Tommy: Not my favorite but famous for a reason. I've always liked "Pinball Wizard." I considered shortening the clip, but my conception of this video became to include entire musical ideas, so the whole thing stayed.
-Dance of the Seven Veils: Yes, it's in terrible quality, since it's a banned film, but I like it. Very interesting and aggressive use of music, aimed against its composer. With the Zarathustra scene, I wonder if Russell was responding to 2001: A Space Odyssey, which had just come out.
-The Devils: My first ever Ken Russell! A lot of the music in this film was recorded on set; not sure about the scene I included. Vanessa Redgrave and Oliver Reed are killing it here.
-Song of Summer: My favorite film Russell made for the BBC. Music and nature go hand in hand.
-Lair of the White Worm: Just a fun scene, from a fun movie.
-Altered States: Love this one. The editing is insane, imagery is off the wall--the scene I included was not the only one available, believe me.
-The Boy Friend: There's no reason the movie had to be so wild, except that it was directed by Ken Russell. Maybe I should have chosen a clip that showed off Christopher Gable's ballet skills.
-Valentino: I didn't like this one very much, but the scene I picked is nice.
-Savage Messiah: I sobbed the first time I watched this scene. I loved the Sophie and Henri relationship to pieces.
-Mahler: One of the best opening scenes I have ever had the pleasure of viewing. Beautiful and provides excellent foreshadowing. Georgina Hale's physicality as she emerges from the cocoon is unforgettable.
-The Music Lovers: I know that I'm somewhat alone in this, but The Music Lovers is one of my favorite Russell films. I could have included the entire thing, because it's all one musical dream. The sequence I included is cinema at its height: perfect direction, editing, acting, everything, all in service of music and story. I fought to find an HD version of it; hope someone will release a remaster.

0:00 - Introduction (The Debussy Film)
0:21 - Women in Love
4:00 - Gothic
4:40 - Dante's Inferno
5:48 - Crimes of Passion
7:22 - Tommy
11:49 - Dance of the Seven Veils
13:34 - The Devils
15:55 - Song of Summer
17:04 - Lair of the White Worm
19:32 - Altered States
22:20 - The Boy Friend
25:32 - Valentino
27:41 - Savage Messiah
31:37 - Mahler
35:06 - The Music Lovers