User Reviews

"The Planets" brings visual life to the classic Horst score with images that move beyond the graphic descriptions of the planets. It evokes thoughts of the solar system as it pertains to the systems that govern our lives, our society and our humanity. Ken Russell has always been known for his ability to let the audience feel uncomfortable. His images in this film are bold, but at the same time they show the subtle sensitivity that make all of his films so unforgettable.

He explores the same genre that Godfrey Reggio and Philip Glass made famous, but his work in this film stand completely on its own.

This was shown in 1983 on the South Bank Show. It is a complete performance of The Planets by (as far as I remember) the Chicago Symphony. What makes it special is Ken Russell's film footage. This is a collage of real film clips from documentaries, adverts and newsreels from around the world and spanning a fairly wide period of time. I seem to remember reading in the Radio Times at the time this was broadcast, that he had been given permission to make this film by Holst's daughter, and the main constraint was that he was not to use footage showing the atrocities of war. It could be argued that his choice of film to accompany Mars is all the more sinister and poignant because of what is omitted. This is a very unusual, stunning film which appears to have been forgotten over the years. A re-showing would, I am sure, inspire interest in the availability of a DVD or video. It is disappointing that this film is not available, and it would be a real tragedy if it disappeared without trace. Somewhere there must be a copy of this film, and I would dearly love to get hold of a copy!