Whore (1991)

Leave it to the MPAA to add more fuel to a fire they were allegedly attempting to put out. When the NC-17 rating was introduced in 1990, thus retiring the X rating, the intent was to make a distinction between films designed for adults with content stronger than normally found in R-rated films but weren't hardcore sex films which is what the X rating had become synonymous with. The rating quickly developed a stigma of its own however and became known as a “kiss of death” for any film given the rating, with many theater chains refusing to show NC-17 rated films and various retail outlets refusing to stock NC-17 films. With the exception of Showgirls (1995), which was one of the very few major studio films with the rating to get a wide release, the majority of the films given the rating were interdependent productions, making any attempt to gain an R rating especially difficult with the MPAA's vague suggestions for cuts as opposed to the detailed outlines given to studio films. Ken Russell's 1991 film Whore was yet another independent film given the rating, rather unjustifiably as had the film been released by a big studio it would have been given an R without incident, which no doubt played a hand in the films limited release, depriving a large audience of Russell's unfiltered antidote to the lies of Pretty Woman (1990).

Presented as docudrama, the film follows Liz (Theresa Russell), a streetwise Los Angeles prostitute going about her business, narrating the details of her life which led her to the life she currently lives, waxing philosophic on her line of work and life in general, giving detailed accounts of her failed marriage, estranged son and some of her more eccentric clients, all the while desperately trying to avoid her violent pimp Blake.

In a lot of ways Whore can be seen as a companion to Russell's Crimes of Passion (1984) which also dealt with prostitution albeit in a much more colorful fashion. Much like Crimes of Passion, Whore deals with some pretty heavy subject matter. Again, the film was Russell's response after being disgusted by what her perceived to be the glamorization of the life of a prostitute in Pretty Woman and sought out to present what the life of a lady of the night is truly like. Quite often it isn't pleasant with several of Liz's encounters ending very badly and at times violently and naturally the reoccurring motif of the threat of her abusive pimp brings an even more dangerous nature to Liz's already high risk job. At the same time, the film has a tendency to shift tones, often abruptly with Russell's bizarre sense of humor coming into play several times so a scene that is at once troubling suddenly becomes absurdly hilarious, Liz's accounts of the turn-on's of her clientele, be they an elderly man who loves to get beat with a cane or a successful business man with a peculiar type of shoe fetish are especially hysterical. Theresa Russell really goes for in both her exaggerated street-tough guise as well as during the more tender, confessional moments revealing the more unfortunate aspects of her backstory and despite the tonal shifts, the film is never short on sincerity or sympathy, with the constant fourth wall breaking making for more intimate characterization.

At a 2010 career retrospective Theresa Russell claimed the film was her most difficult both technically and emotionally. Russell stated “There was monologue after monologue after monologue. I mean just in terms of just pure, technical stuff... I was worried about being boring, so much of it was just me walking along on the street as a hooker just talking, constantly talking to the camera... but anytime your doing a character like her that basically feels very bad about themselves, you know that's the place where you gotta go and you have to understand what motivated her to do these things to herself and her body and be who she was... as an actor its hard sometimes your just oh man its such a beautiful day I just want to go in my garden... OK your a piece of shit... you gotta work your way into it and then go to work!” Perhaps due to the films limited release frightening potential future backers, Whore would become Russell's final theatrical feature with Russell working in television and making digital films on his own until his passing in 2011. Whore still remains one of Russell's most underseen works but it also stands as a film as bold as its title and the fact that the film is a collaboration between the two most fierce Russell's in film, Ken and Theresa, makes it a must see.

Lisztomania (1975)

Ken Russell was a lot of things to a lot of people, both admires and detractors alike, and when thinking of Russell's legacy, one of the most astonishing things is just how many things he became synonymous with throughout his career. Most filmmakers would be considered lucky to have one film, never mind several films or “era”s, periods of their career which are oft-debated as to which is the most representative of their overall body of work. Russell certainty is of the later class, with it being impossible to define his career with one specific film or period. While The Devils (1971) is perhaps Russell's most famous film due to its sheer notoriety, Russell is equally renowned among horror fans for films like Gothic (1986) and The Lair of the White Worm (1988), while others swear by the hallucinatory sci-fi of Altered States (1980) or the berserk adaptation of The Who's rock opera Tommy (1975). One specific type of film Russell was particularly successful was the musical bio-pic, with some of Russell's most celebrated films being centered around the lives of classical composers, executed in Russell's typically flamboyant fashion, examples include the BBC documentary Elgar (1962), The Music Lovers (1971) and Mahler (1974). Almost immediately following Tommy, Russell found himself returning to the realm of the composer biopic, albeit in a much more maniacal fashion with Lisztomania, unquestionably Russell's most outrageous musical biopic.

While in Russia for a tour, renowned Hungarian pianist and composer Franz Liszt (Roger Daltrey) is offered a proposition by Princess Carolyne zu Sayn-Wittgenstein, that being the two of them marrying, giving Liszt the time and ability to compose all the music he wants. The marriage however is disapproved of by the church and Liszt devotes his life to being an abbot, although he soon finds another calling after being caught in bed with another woman by the Pope (Ringo Starr), who informs Liszt that his jealous composing contemporary Richard Wagner has not only become the anti-Christ but has also tricked Liszt's daughter Cosima into marrying him. After being commissioned by the Pope to defeat Wagner, Liszt arrives at Wagner's castle and discovers Wagner's diabolical plan of ridding the world of Jews and the creation of the master race.

Although Lisztomania technically falls into the biopic category, even when compared with Russell's previous excessive classical composer based films, Lisztomania is worlds removed from a traditional biography. Although the film does eventually follow somewhat of a narrative once Princess Carolyne enters the picture and the ensuing saga with the Pope and Wagner, for a good portion of the film Russell favors a stream of consciousness approach, loading the film with instances of surreal fantasy sequences and moments of random frivolity. Frivolous being the key word, with the over the top absurdity being the main selling point, Russell offering no breathing room from the barrage of madness. In fact, although both films couldn't be further apart tonally speaking, Lisztomania just might be second only to The Devils as Russell's most loud and provocative film. Along with making Wagner a Nazi anti-Christ, he is also a vampire, later resurrected as the reincarnation of Hitler crossed with Frankenstein's monster wielding an electric guitar machine gun, his intended method of genocide involves a faulty, Thor like creature made of iron (played by musician Rick Wakeman who provided the films score), and in perhaps the films most memorable moment and certainty one of the most unforgettable moments in Russell's oeuvre, Liszt inexplicably finds himself sprouting a massive penis and testicles. Russell even finds time to include rocket ships. Toss in voodoo and enough blatant phallic imagery that would make Freud's head explode and the tagline of “The film that out-Tommy's Tommy!” becomes much more than mere advertising hyperbole.   

The films title “Lisztomania” comes from an actual term originated by German poet Heinrich Heine used to describe the overexcited, mostly young female audience reactions at Liszt's concerts, which Heine stated were “true madness, unheard of in the annals of furore”, thus causing many to label Liszt the first real pop star. Of course, Liszt's frantic crowds were also fodder for critics quick to label such things as shallow and in a strange bit of history somewhat repeating itself, many critics of the day were quick to label Russell's film as shallow, with several bemoaning that Russell finally took the extravagance a bit too far, though over the years the film has rightfully gained a fanbase. As Rick Wakeman pointed out, “It took many years before Lisztomania became cult and recognized for the clever film it was...” The term “Lisztomania” was also the inspiration for the name later given to another musical phenomenon, “Beatlemania”, with the enthusiastic responses to The Beatles live performances and pubic appearances resembling the descriptions of Liszt's hyperactive crowd responses recorded throughout history, thus making Ringo Starr's turn as the cowboy boot wearing Pope all the more appropriate. Never boring for a second, Lisztomania is a quintessential bit of mad Russell brilliance and even in a crowded filmography loaded with highly imaginative works, Lisztomania manages to stick out more than some of the others which is quite the accomplishment.