THE RAINBOW
UK, 1989, 113 minutes, Colour.
Sammi Davis, Paul Mc Gann, Amanda Donohoe, Christopher Gable, David Hemmings, Glenda Jackson.
Directed by Ken Russell.
The Rainbow has been adapted for the screen by Ken and Vivien Russell. Russell directed Women in Love in 1969 and it received great acclaim, including an Oscar for Glenda Jackson as Gudrun. Since Women in Love, Russell has had an extraordinary career - acclaim for his idiosyncratic studies of composers in the early '70s (Music Lover, Mahler, Lisztomania) as well as for such varied projects as The Devils, The Boyfriend, Tommy, Valentino.
During the 1980s he was less successful although he made Altered States, Crimes of Passion and then the oddball gothic, Salome's Last Dance and Lair of the White Worm. In this context, The Rainbow is extraordinarily straightforward film-making by Russell.
The film re-creates the turn of the century English countryside, the traditional family, a young woman emerging into the 20th. century with far more open ideas and desire for freedom in behaviour. Sammi Davis is the intense Ursula (Sammi Davis appeared in Hope and Glory, Prayer for the Dying, Lair of the White Worm. Christopher Gable and Glenda Jackson, veterans of several of Russell's films, portray her parents very well. David Hemmings has a meaty role as Uncle Henry. Amanda Donohue (Castaway, Lair of the White Worm is the lesbian school mistress. Paul Mc Gann is the soldier, Anton.
The film has many evocative sequences - at home, using the landscapes and the locations, in the Dickensian school in which Ursula work.
There are also long slabs of dialogue in which Lawrence's philosophy of life, philosophy of relationships, understanding of the sexes, understanding of love and sexuality, are all declared and explored. The film is more straightforward than Women in Love, lacking some of its intensity. However, it is an interesting and absorbing version of Lawrence's novel.
1. The impact of the film? British film-making? Britain, the turn of the century, human nature and aspirations?
2. The work of D.H. Lawrence: this novel in his canon of work, the issues raised, the 19th century and its influences, changes? Women, men, love, sexuality? The relationship of the rainbow to women in love? Ken Russell and his cast and crew, familiar with working with him? Straightforward presentation of Lawrence? Vibrancy and intensity?
3. The re-creation of the period: the village, the household, the beauty of the countryside, water and mountains and rocks? The town, the school? Atmosphere? Carl Davis's atmospheric score? The use of contemporary music? Sacred music?
4. The title and the opening, the little Ursula and her seeing the rainbow, running to the river, her father saving her? Her father telling her of the rainbow at the end, her running to seize it? The symbol of the aspirations and hopes of the rainbow, the elusive rainbow?
5. Ursula and her place in the family, the little girl, her memories with her parents, with Uncle Henry? In the household, in the gardens? Her place among the children? Expectations on her? Her relationship with her parents? Anna as wife, as mother, genial and content, good-humoured and caring for her family? A model of domestic life? Wil and his verve, love for life, jokes, his work for the church, carving the statue of the hand of God for the baptistry, playing the organ at the ceremonies, spending so much time at the church? His way with words, his dancing? The values of the family: 19th century, moral values, family values and relationships, the influence
of the church? Change?
6. Ursula grown up, her place in the family, at church, at school, her hopes of becoming a teacher? The visit of Uncle Henry, the discussion of his mint? Meeting Anton, the military man? Ursula and Anton discussing, walking, the importance of the conversation about the Polish and English heritage, passion and reticence?
7. Ursula at school, the swimming lesson, racing with Winifred, going out with her, taking Gudrun's bike, at the house, nudity, sexuality, the swim? The beginning of the affair? Their sharing, Winifred and her talk about men, her condemnation of men? The hike in the hills? Arranging for the meeting with the artist? Ursula's visit, posing for him, Winifred procuring her? The talk about the painting, his wanting a sadistic sexual experience, her reaction?
8. Winifred as a teacher, a swimming coach, osteopath? her frankness of language, frankness of expression, freedom in nudity? The lesbian relationship? At her home, the hike? The incident with the artist? Her going with Ursula to visit Uncle Henry, her charming him and being charmed by him? The discussion about the mines, the picture of the workers, the pits? Ursula and her reaction, the hunting and the death of the rabbits? The lettuces and her destruction of the garden? Winifred and her reaction, tempering Ursula's outbursts? Winifred and her marriage? The ceremony, Ursula as bridesmaid? The various speeches, the dancing? Winifred at home with Henry, the strength of their relationship? The child? Winifred giving her house to Ursula and Anton for their rendezvous, visiting them? The woman of 1900? Ambiguities?
9. Ursula and her changing, her hopes, her discussions with her father, with her mother? The possibility of going to London to teach? The money? Her staying, going to the town, the interviews, going to the school, the staff room, the detached teacher and his advice, the principal and his sister, the rules for the staff room, her inexperience? The assembly, marching her class in at the wrong time, the principal returning them? The cheeky boy in the class, her being covered in chalk? The principal and his prowling, his sister watching? The principal interfering, punishing the children? Ursula's outburst and her hitting the boy after the discussion about the pens? The attitude in the staff room? The effect of her school experience, her reaction to beating the boy, its effect on herself? The vividness of the school, the environment, the resources, the philosophy of the school?
10. Ursula and her bond with Anton, his character, with Uncle Henry, the military? The first meeting and sharing? His returning, the meals? The wedding, the dancing, the sexual encounter and what it meant for her, his aggressiveness and ignoring her? The effect on both? Ursula and her love for Anton, his going to South Africa, the keeping of the album? His return and looking at the album with Gudrun? Sharing, the mountains and the water, freedom, nudity, the house and passion? Marrying or not? The visuals of the relationship, sensual, passionate? The complementarity of men and women?
11. Ursula in the woods with the bike, the fall, pursuit by the horses? In bed, the telegram? Anton's marriage? her getting up after the talk with her father? The rainbow and running towards it?
12. The sketch of Wil and Anna, Wil and his moods, demands? Anna and her continued presence and support? Ursula watching them, the bonds with them? The bringing up of their children and the happy family sequences? At home, at church, outings? Anna and Wil at the wedding reception, Wil telling stories, the dancing?
13. Ursula as a woman of her times, the deaths, growing up, the modern woman, ambitions and career? In herself, symbolising women and their experience, love and passion, family?
14. Lawrence's views, in their time, now? Ken Russell's interpretation of Lawrence?
