Ken Russell
Born: 1927-07-03 in Southampton, Hampshire, England, UK
Died: 2011-11-27
Known For: Directing
Biography
Henry Kenneth Alfred "Ken" Russell (3 July 1927 – 27 November 2011) was an English film director. He is known for his pioneering work in television and film, and for his controversial style. He has been criticized as being over-obsessed with sexuality and the church. His subject matter is often about famous composers, or based on other works of art which he adapts loosely. Russell began directing for the BBC, where he did creative adaptations of composers' lives which were unusual for the time. He also directed many feature films independently and for studios. He is best known for his Oscar-winning romantic drama Women in Love (1969), the notoriously controversial The Devils (1971), the rock musical Tommy (1975), and the science fiction film Altered States (1980). One noted admirer, British film critic Mark Kermode, attempting to sum up the director's achievement, called Russell; "somebody who proved that British cinema didn't have to be about kitchen-sink realism – it could be every bit as flamboyant as Fellini. He now makes very strange experimental films like Lion's Mouth and Revenge of the Elephant Man, and they are as edgy and out there as the work he made in the 1970s."
Filmography
2025
- Twiggy as (archival footage)
2022
- The Who: One Band's Explosive Story as Self (archive footage)
2016
- Kitsune ... (Thanks)
2012
- Ken Russell: A Bit of a Devil as Self (archive footage)
- Director of Devils as Self
- The Devils Original on-set footage
2010
- The Aristofrogs
- Mr. Nice as Russell Miegs
2009
- Boudica Bites Back as Roman Senator
2007
- A Kitten for Hitler as Santa
- 10 Best Elgar as Self (archive footage)
- Watch the Birdie ... (Director)
2006
- Trapped Ashes as Dr. Lucy (segment "The Girl with Golden Breasts")
- Charlotte Brontë Enters the Big Brother House ... (Director)
- Brothers of the Head as Himself
- The Real Blue Nuns as Self
2005
- Colour Me Kubrick as The Man In Nightgown
- The Miners' Picnic by Ken Russell ... (Director)
2004
- Agatha Christie's Marple as Rev Caleb Dane Calthrop
- Revenge of the Elephant Man
2003
- 100 Greatest Sexy Moments as Self
2002
- Elgar: Fantasy of a Composer on a Bicycle as Narrator (voice)
- The Fall of the Louse of Usher as Dr. Calahari
- Hell on Earth: The Desecration & Resurrection of The Devils as Self
2001
- Waking the Dead as Gerry Raistrick
- Celebrity Big Brother as Self
2000
- The Real Oliver Reed as Self
- Lion's Mouth as Ken
1998
- Dogboys ... (Director)
1997
1996
- Mindbender ... (Director)
- Vem Var Dracula as Self
- Tales of Erotica as Mr. Kirsch (segment 'The Insatiable Mrs. Kirsch') (uncredited)
1995
- Treasure Island ... (Director)
- The Insatiable Mrs. Kirsch as Mr. Kirsch
- Empire of the Censors as Self
- Alice in Russialand
- Music for the Movies: Georges Delerue as Self
1993
- Lady Chatterley as Sir Michael Reid
- Frank Stubbs Promotes as Self
- The Mystery of Dr Martinu ... (Writer)
1992
- The Secret Life of Arnold Bax as Sir Arnold Bax
1991
- Prisoner of Honor ... (Director)
- Whore as Waiter (uncredited)
1990
- The Russia House as Walter
- Women and Men: Stories of Seduction ... (Director)
- Plunder
- The Strange Affliction of Anton Bruckner ... (Director)
1989
- The Rainbow ... (Director)
- Il Mefistofele ... (Director)
- A British Picture: Portrait of an Enfant Terrible
- Pandora's Box: It's All Coming Back to Me Now ... (Director)
1988
- The Lair of the White Worm as Police Radio (voice) (uncredited)
- Salome's Last Dance as Cappadocian
- Ken Russell's ABC of British Music as Himself
1987
- Gothic as Tourist
- Aria ... (Director)
- Your Honour, I Object! Guccione V Russell
1986
1985
- Faust ... (Director)
1984
- Crimes of Passion ... (Director)
1983
- Vaughan Williams: A Symphonic Portrait as Self
- The Planets ... (Director)
1980
- Altered States ... (Director)
1979
- The Who: The Kids Are Alright as Self
1978
- The South Bank Show as Self
- Clouds of Glory ... (Director)
1977
- Valentino as Rex Ingram (uncredited)
1975
- Tommy as Cripple (uncredited)
- Lisztomania ... (Director)
1974
- Mahler ... (Director)
1972
- Savage Messiah as Passenger getting off train in station (uncredited)
1971
- The Devils ... (Director)
- The Boy Friend ... (Director)
- The Music Lovers ... (Director)
1970
- Dance of the Seven Veils ... (Director)
1969
- Women in Love ... (Director)
1968
- Song of Summer as Priest
1967
- Omnibus as Self
- Billion Dollar Brain ... (Director)
- Dante's Inferno ... (Director)
1966
- Isadora Duncan, the Biggest Dancer in the World as Captain Patterson
- Russell at Work
- Don’t Shoot the Composer as Himself
1965
- The Debussy Film ... (Director)
- Always on Sunday ... (Director)
1964
- French Dressing ... (Director)
- The Diary of a Nobody ... (Director)
- Six ... (Director)
- Bela Bartók ... (Director)
1962
- Pop Goes the Easel ... (Director)
- Elgar: Portrait of a Composer ... (Director)
- The Preservation Man ... (Director)
- Mr Chesher’s Traction Engines ... (Director)
- The Lonely Shore ... (Director)
1961
- Lotte Lenya Sings Kurt Weill ... (Director)
- Walk With The Damned as Hood
- London Moods ... (Director)
- Old Battersea House ... (Director)
- Antonio Gaudí ... (Director)
- Prokofiev ... (Director)
1960
- The Light Fantastic ... (Director)
- Shelagh Delaney's Salford ... (Director)
- A House in Bayswater ... (Director)
- Journey Into a Lost World ... (Director)
- A Bedlington Miners' Picnic ... (Director)
1959
- Gordon Jacob ... (Director)
- Variations on a Mechanical Theme ... (Director)
- Portrait of a Goon ... (Director)
- From Spain to Streatham ... (Director)
- Scottish Painters ... (Director)
- John Betjeman: A Poet in London ... (Director)
1958
- Amelia and the Angel ... (Director)
- Lourdes ... (Director)
1956
- Knights on Bikes ... (Director)
- Peepshow ... (Director)