PRIEST OF LOVE

UK, 1981, 94 minutes, Colour.
Ian Mc Kellen, Janet Suzman, Ava Gardner, Jorge Rivero, Penelope Keith, Sarah Miles, John Gielgud.
Directed by Christopher Miles.

Priest of Love is a biography of D.H. Lawrence. For a further biography, audiences could see Tim Burstall's version of his novel Kangaroo with Judy Davis and Colin Friels, sketching their time in Australia. However, this film is told in flashbacks, the difficulties that Lawrence's novels raised in England itself and his having to travel abroad. The particular focuses are on his time in Mexico and in Provence.

Ian Mc Kellen gives a stylised performance as Lawrence. Janet Suzman is his German wife, Frieda. Various guests appear including John Gielgud, Ava Gardner and Sarah Miles, the sister of the director Christopher Miles.

There have been many film versions of Lawrence's novels from The Rocking Horse Winner to Women In Love, to The Rainbow to Sons and Lovers and The Virgin and the Gypsy. This film provides an interesting background with the life and troubles of the author.

1. Interest in D. H. Lawrence: as writer, his causes, influence? His career and output? As a person, personality? The film as biography, study, entertainment?

2. Was the film more of a biography or a study? Which approach dominated the screenplay? The structure of the screenplay: the introduction to Muskett and his denunciations? The flashbacks? The background to Lawrence's youth? The tone given by the book-burnings and censorship? The explanations of Lawrence's life, personality, influence on his writings? The episodic nature of the film?

3. Production values: location photography, Mexico, Spain, England? The re-creation of period? The atmosphere of the early 20th. century? Score and inclusion of songs?

4. The tone taken with the introductory denunciations, the personality of Muskett, the National Purity League? Audience response to later denunciations of Lawrence and court cases? The controversy about his views? An audience of the '80s looking back to 1915 and later trials? The issues, the denunciations, the passing of time, calmer approaches, changes of standards and values?

5. The introduction to Lawrence in mid-career? His achievement, reputation? His eccentric personality? How well did the film explain his background ? the flashbacks and the echoes of Sons and Lovers? His attitudes towards himself, career, creativity? His understanding of his own genius, literary talent? Themes of freedom, humanity: physical, sensual, sexual? His relationship with Freda?

6. The personality of Frieda and her intensity? Continental background? Sweeping extrovert style? Her infatuation with him, meeting his family, Ada? His persuading her to elope? Her relationship with her husband, children? The consequences for her, for him? Her love for him, their clashes? Her supporting him in the travel? Sharing his ideas? His creative response to her? His idealising her and human nature? Frieda as reality for him, as symbol? Learning about women through her? His male friends, women friends ? and the echoes of The Rainbow and Women in Love? Frieda as the model for so many of his heroines to Lady Chatterley’s Lover?

7. The importance of his friendships, his peers? His behaviour by the standards of the time? Causing scandal? Seeing his views and their impact at the time, his being ahead of his time? In the perspective of later decades?

8. The contribution of the flashbacks, the re-creation of Midlands life in the 19th. century? The influence of Lawrence's mother, his father, the drudgery of the mines? His relationship with Ada?

9. The family and their approval and disapproval? Ada and her support, clashes? The friends and the time in Wales ? the nude swimming, the German songs and the local denunciations? The illustrations of narrowness and prejudice? Lawrence and his entourage having to be on the move?

10. The atmosphere of the United States and its open spirit? The land and New Mexico? The character of Mabel Dodge Luhan ? and Ava Gardner's glamour? Her background in New York? Her husband and the seemingly incompatible duo? Lifestyle, freedom, liaisons, her patronage of the arts, her gathering and coterie? The influence on Lawrence?

11. The Continental background to Lawrence's life, Italy and the sun, the south of France? The feel of Italy? Lawrence's response and his skill in the visual arts? Paintings, the chauffeur and his posing?

12. Dorothy Brett and her place in the entourage? As an admirer, as an interesting character in herself, her art, her deafness, her support, the clashes and Lawrence's moodiness, her continued devotion?

13. Lawrence's insight into writing Lady Chatterley’s Lover? His purpose, his cause, his art? The intensity of writing it? The exhilaration of the printing and the publishing? The fever for publishing it, the furore?

14. His illness, death and the aftermath of Frieda marrying the Italian? This comment on Lawrence in her behaviour?

15. How well did the film give an insight into D. H. Lawrence in his time, presenting him with his literary and intellectual peers, his impact on the public, his mirror of the early 20th. century world?