Review of Isadora

Not even dance per se, just movement. Great interpretation by Vivian Pickles, who captures both the physical grace and tumultuous personality we associate with the legend of Isadora Duncan. Ken Russell's expressionistic style of film-making, here in stark black and white, is so well suited to the ups and downs of such a highly dramatic biography. As usual, even with a limited budget, Russell offers a visual feast – filling the screen with lavish interiors and frenzied close-ups, juxtaposing unrelated scenes simultaneously - quite a different approach than Karel Reisz's more literal-minded "Isadora" with Vanessa Redgrave. This is art for art's sake, a perfect meeting of minds.