MovieChat Forums > Performance (1970) Discussion > Respect the UK classics

Respect the UK classics


Whats the beef with the classic films like this and If.. that they are not given the respect they deserve with a comprehensive DVD release. Criterion would have a field day with these two titles, the studios need to grow some balls and start looking at how the british made films in the sixties. Do these Warner fatcats realise that they are denying the public the opportunity of appreciating one of the finest British films ever made, probably not. Anyway cant wait for the release it will end years of having to endure the less that great VHS transfers and the digitally remastered soundtrack will be awesome.

Chas to Turner: "You'll look funny when your fifty"

reply

ahhh,cheeky,you need wait no longer...!

reply

I just bought the DVD, and enjoyed watching the film again -- third time around for me. First saw it in 1980, and it made a big impression on me.

Quite often, I had to use the subtitle feature to decipher the dialogue -- and even then, some of the terminology was unknown to me. A glossary of underworld slang would be helpful. But this also added to the exotic atmosphere of the entire enterprise.

The making of doc could have been longer. It's too bad they couldn't get Roeg to participate. It would have been nice to have subsequent filmmakers (such as Scorsese and Schrader) talk about how the film influenced their work.

Another thing I'd like to touch on -- while the French New Wave of the 60's is justifiably well-regarded, it seems that British free cinema of the 60's is not getting the attention it deserves.

One thing that struck me about Performance, which is also true of other Roeg films and some of Ken Russell's films back in the early 70's -- the film doesn't dumb anything down, and is very bold both in terms of ideas and cinematic technique. A lot of films today spoon feed the audience. Today, it's all about lowering standards to meet the audience, rather than forcing the audience to try a little harder and meet the filmmaker half-way. How refreshing, a film that doesn't tie up all loose ends, with characters who aren't loveable.

reply

[deleted]

I believe the French New Wave and British Free Cinema were contemporaneous but unrelated, although I'm sure everyone saw each other's films and there was creative cribbing.

I've been watching a lot of old Monty Python's Flying Circus episodes, and I've been struck not just by the humor but the freewheeling cinematic experiments (especially with time and space) in the episodes. I even suspect that Martin Scorsese has been influenced by Python (especially in the rapid-fire change of locales/time frames in the opening sequences of GoodFellas, Casino and The Departed). There is so much violence in Scorsese's gangster films that I'm starting to think it's not meant to be taken entirely seriously -- much like the Peckinpah spoof that Python did (where people are getting blown away on a tennis court, I believe).

reply