Ken Russell: 5 essential films from the controversial director - video

Published Nov 28 2011, 11:37 GMT  |  By Simon Reynolds

Ken Russell, the controversial British director and former Celebrity Big Brother contestant, passed away yesterday (November 27) at the age of 84. With a career spanning more than five decades across documentaries and feature films, Russell built an impressive body of work that refused to shy away from risky subjects such as violence, sex and religion.

> Ken Russell dies, aged 84
> Ken Russell 1927-2011: Obituary
> Ken Russell: 1927-2011 - life in pictures

Digital Spy takes a look at five essential Ken Russell films worth tracking down...

Women in Love (1969)
DH Lawrence's 1920 novel got the big-screen treatment from Russell at the tail-end of the swinging '60s. In an era when gritty kitchen sink dramas were the norm, Women in Love presented a period tale about best friends who fall for two sisters. Alan Bates, Oliver Reed, Glenda Jackson and Jennie Linden starred in the film, which won Jackson an Academy Award and Russell his sole 'Best Director' Oscar nomination.



The Music Lovers (1970)
This experimental Tchaikovsky biopic saw Richard Chamberlain's composer grapple with his homosexual desires for Count Anton Chiluvsky. Jackson reunited with her Women in Love director to play Antonina Miliukova, the wife whom Tchaikovsky fails to fulfil. Russell reportedly described the film as about "the marriage between a homosexual and a nymphomaniac".



The Devils (1971)
Perhaps Russell's most controversial work, The Devils starred Oliver Reed and Vanessa Redgrave in a story of a Catholic priest burned at the stake and nuns, led by Sister Jeanne, who sexually assault a statue of Christ. The film fell foul of censors and had to be trimmed down to receive an 'X' certificate in the UK. In March next year, the BFI will release The Devils in its original form.



Tommy (1975)
The Who's rock opera Tommy transitioned to the big screen with the band's members lining up alongside the likes of Oliver Reed, Jack Nicholson, Eric Clapton, Ann-Margret, Tina Turner and Elton John. Roger Daltrey himself took on the role of Tommy Walker, a pinball wizard who encounters a Marilyn Monroe-worshipping religious cult and an LSD-dealing prostitute. Only in a Ken Russell movie!



Altered States (1980)
This mind-bending science fiction drama saw William Hurt play a scientist who confines himself to a sensory depravation tank while tripping on ketamine and LSD. Some outlandish visuals ensue, as Hurt's doc Eddie Jessup begins to genetically regress. Paddy Chayefsky's smart script (based on his own novel) provided Russell with an outlet to explore a man struggling to value his own humanity.



Which Ken Russell film will you remember most? Leave your comments in the space below!