Yorkshire born Eric Fenby, moves to the house of paralysed and blind composer Frederick Delius in 1928. Fenby's intention is to aid Delius in finishing his final works, but his impatient attitude, hate for religion and marriage, and his off-tone singing. Fenby's desire of working with an amazing composer seems to be ruined at first, but as time goes on, they gradually create a unique friendship.
Ken Russell is Britain's Pasolini. His films are audacious and strange, mostly obsessed with sexuality and the church. His films include the 'The Devils', 'Women in Love' and 'Tommy' which feature sexually repressed nuns, nude wrestling and a rock opera about a blind pinball player, respectively. 'Delius: Song of Summer' doesn't fit to any of these, and is taken from a series of TV movies Russell filmed for the BBC called Omnibus. The BFI have released a DVD of the film separate from the series, which is how I watched it.
The plot sounds identical to the French film 'Intouchables', but the key difference is that this film is scaled down. There is no hand-gliding or drag racing, as the action takes place at a mansion in the countryside. There are no elaborate sets, just the beauty of the small enclosed location and the power of the acting. The cheap black and white cinematography matches the mood of the film.
There are roughly seven on-screen characters in the film, but it is the acting of the Mr and Mrs Delius and Fenby that elevates this film from mediocre. Max Adrian easily steals the show as the rude, tormented Delius, a performance so great it even makes the viewer feel uncomfortable.
The story itself is based upon the true story of Frederick Delius, and the book Fenby wrote about their experiences. It doesn't go anywhere near whimsical, and the film is rooted in realism, so the film is powerful and gripping for the short running time (72 minutes).
The two types of people which would enjoy this film are fans of Frederick Delius and fans of Ken Russell. I belong to neither of these groups, and found the film tells a formulaic story, compassionately and nicely. It is definitely not perfect, but there are a couple of touching scenes, especially the finale. It's a part of Russell's filmography I haven't seen before, and I'll definitely check out the other TV movies in the Omnibus series (if I can obtain them).
TO CONCLUDE
An enjoyable addition to the unseen part of Russell's filmography. The acting is superb, but it doesn't deserve the 8.5 IMDB score.
SCORE
76
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