User Reviews

Ken Russell Song of Summer is a sweet and beautiful composer biopic that was made for television but seems better suited for the cinema.

In fact it is a better film than most of his theatrical releases (Maybe excluding my personal favorite Mahler), with sensitive performances, humour, and an affection for its protangonists. (I know what your thinking - no bloody corpses? Writhing nudes? Swirling visuals?) No there's not much of Russell's trademark shock tactics - but the film is all the better for it.

A film I deeply respect. Try and track down a copy and you won't be disappointed. 9/10.

A middle-age composer is struck down by paralysis and blindness brought on by syphilis. All the music still living inside him must remain there forever, or so it seems, until a young man volunteers his time to bring that music to life. Such is the remarkable but true story of Frederic Delius and his amanuenses, Eric Fenby.

In 1929, Eric Fenby was a young man living in England, a frustrated musician earning money by playing background music for Laurel & Hardy films. One night, he reads in the paper of Frederic Delius' tragic plight and, possessing a young man's impulsiveness, decides to go to Grez-sur-Loing, where Delius lives with his wife, Jelka, and offer his assistance.

When they first meet, it is NOT a meeting of the minds. Delius (played so wickedly wonderfully well by Max Adrian) says he wants to compose and he starts humming. Fenby, in frustration, realizing the uphill battle he has taken on, asks, "What key is it in, Sir" and Delius loses patience with the well-meaning young man. An uneasy start, to be sure, but by the end, previously unheard music finds its way onto paper and into concert halls.

This is a wonderful little film, part of a PBS series titled "Biography." The series had been narrated by Lady Antonia Fraser and she did a wonderful job introducing the film and understanding just what a miracle had occurred in 1929 when Fenby decided to help Delius.

But this movie is far from being maudlin and you do NOT end up feeling sorry for Delius. Despite being blind and paralyzed, he is not without talent and he certainly isn't without wit.

When Fenby asks him what he thinks of certain composers, he says of one, "He would have set the entire Bible to music if he'd lived long enough." He also decides to act as a father to Fenby - not having children of his own and being so much older than Fenby, it probably was natural in the course of their relationship. Being an atheist, he suggests Fenby get rid of his "great Christian blinders" but Fenby, being a devout Roman Catholic, ignores this suggestion.

But, later in the film, Fenby ends up being the "parent" as Delius becomes sicker and Jelka develops stomach cancer and requires surgery. He had served as a confidant to Jelka and it is from her that he (and we) learns what Delius was like as a young man - his incredible womanizing, the brutal way he treated Jelka and finally, his contracting syphilis from the women with whom he had slept.

And in the end, no matter how tragic their plight, Delius and Fenby together brought to light some incredibly beautiful music - the music that inspired the title and the picture. It runs like a thread throughout the film and gives it a joy and a hope you would not expect considering the subject.

This wonderful movie is well worth a look if it ever appears on TV again. It's available on British DVD but not on American DVD or VHS. That's a shame. However, the music that inspired it is available on CD and is also well worth listening to. And viewers will be amazed at what Fenby gave up - and what we all got - as a result of his service - which lasted for 5 years until Delius died - to a great composer. We are all blessed by the sacrifice.

This touching and bittersweet BBC drama about the final years of the composer Delius, and the role played by young composer Eric Fenby in helping to set down the last great works of the blind and paralysed genius, is truly wonderful.

Now available on Region 0 DVD, thanks to the BFI's Archive Television strand, this example of Ken Russell's early work can be enjoyed by a wider audience once again. The role of Delius is taken by the overbearing presence of Max Adrian, for once not swamping the screen and portraying the composer as a man at odds with the world but at one with its mysteries as they apply to his music. Jelka, Mrs Delius, is played sensitively by Maureen Pryor - the wife brought low by the neglect and cruelty of a tyrannical spouse who nevertheless finds joy, hope and devotion in the contemplation of his musical gift.

By far the most impressive player in this small cast though is the much-missed Christopher Gable, taking the role of Fenby in his first foray into acting after retirement from leading roles with the Royal Ballet. Russell would use Gable well in other films, notably The Music Lovers and The Boy Friend, (and a further, much more controversial film about Richard Strauss), but for me it was an eye opener to see how well he portrays Eric Fenby here - a shy, complex Yorkshireman whose self-sacrifice, as Delius says, gives the ageing composer back his life.

Ken Russell's work became more and more overblown and outrageous through the 1970s and 1980s (although always interesting, visually stunning, and unique). 'Song of Summer' proves his worth as a filmmaker of sensitivity and quiet - the scene where, in flashback, Delius watches his last sunset before his sight fails him, is worth watching this film for on its own.

I last saw this when originally aired on BBC television's, 'Omnibus' series forty years ago and watching it again now, I find I remember little specific but the whole mood. It is just as spine tingling as it was back then. It is sheer perfection. The way it is filmed, the dialogue, the acting, surely there is not a moment out of place. A magical interpretation of Delius' final years with Eric Fenby helping to draw out those final pieces of music. Certainly warts and all, certainly a riveting piece of cinema, even if it were produced within the severe limitations of cash strapped UK TV. The quality of light matches the quality of the music and we really feel we are part of a work of art at the very point of creation. Quite exceptional. I also like Russell's more tumultuous later big screen extravaganzas but it has to be said he set the bar pretty high for himself in 1968.

The music of Delius seems to be an acquired taste. I acquired it at the tender age of 17 (perhaps just about the right age). I have heard only one piece of Delius performed live since then, a performance, and a very fine one, at the Juilliard School of his last opera, "Fennimore and Gerda." It's a shame that this beautiful music can only be heard (in the U.S. at least) on recordings, for the most part. But thank God there are the magnificent recorded performances of Sir Thomas Beecham who seems to have had an almost mystical understanding of Delius's unique style.

And thank God, too, for this wonderful film, which shows that (despite all evidence) Ken Russell once on a time had an enormous talent and impeccable taste. (What happened? Unfathomable. Oddly, though, his 1990's TV version of "Lady Chatterly" -- unlikely material indeed -- shows by and large the same kind of tasteful restraint exhibited here. Ultimately the silliness of Lawrence's ideas does it in -- not Ken's fault though, really.) The performances of Max Adrian and the late lamented Christopher Gable are remarkable. Gable as Fenby is perhaps the more remarkable, in that this was his first film role ever, after retiring from a career as a ballet dancer. He's really fine, and quite handsome as well. And Adrian is simply brilliant, without the excess he frequently exhibits.

And you can see the whole thing (albeit in 9 discrete segments and less than ideal -- though not bad -- video) on youtube! Highly recommended.

What a delight to pick this up on a whim at the video store! I had heard somewhere that Russell's best work came at the start of his career with films about famous composers, and was curious to test this hearsay. And it was no lie, here demonstrating a level of control and sophistication that is out of synch with the later excesses.

The film follows the story of composers Eric Fenby and Delius. Fenby was touched by the plight of Delius (he had become blind, partially paralysed and subject to chronic pain), and went to live with him for some years in order to help him complete his unfinished works.

Delius' introduction is strange and reminded me of the scene in Citizen Kane where Kane's college buddy Jedediah is shown in dark glasses by latticed light, sat in a chair at a sanatorium, indelibly senesced. Fenby, a devout ingénue Yorkshireman, is shown as a reflection in these dark glasses.

Fenby is disturbed by the artworks in the Delius household (including some particularly suggestive Edvard Munch paintings) and tales of Delius' scandalous youth. It's this contrast that lends the film much flavour, the youthful, submissive and repressed Fenby, the crippled atheistic tyrant Delius. Their love of nature and their desire to reflect nature in music is what brings them together.

The acting throughout is stellar, the bit parts contributing just as much to the whole as the rest. Actually the brief stint of Percy Grainger, an altogether different young composer, really brings the Fenby/Delius contrast into relief. The film I would suggest is as much about Fenby as Delius.

What I like about this movie and what Russell would never bring into his more written about later filmography, is the use of suggestion. The imagination is ecstatically dilated by mere recollections of la vie Parisienne, and times spent shooting alligators with negroes in the Everglades at night.

My congratulations to Ken Russell on what is a perfect film, even the closing credits have the mark of genius on them.

Just caught up with this wonderful piece again. I too met Fenby once (briefly) ~ a lovely man (and a bit shorter than Gable, if I recall).

Am I wrong, or is the film clip Chris G is seen accompanying at the start not 1937's Way Out West? Or does that dance appear in an earlier, silent film by L&H?

And it's always intrigued me that Melbourne's Percy Granger is not given an Aussie accent. Okay, he was of English stock and spent some years there but by the time of the story he was living in the States and was a US citizen. And I know he was a fitness freak but he doesn't look 24 years older than Fenby here! In fact David Collings and Christopher Gable were both born in 1940. The best link between Collings and Granger is that both were born in Brighton ~ Brighton Sussex and Brighton, Victoria respectively.

Enough trivia. My main fascination here is that this film expresses most succinctly what I have often called "(Ken) Russell's Paradox" ~ a question he later asked about Gaudier-Brzeska, Tchaikovsky and many others. How can some great artists live such sordid or cruel ~ at least self-obsessed ~ private lives and still bequeath those moving, inspiring and downright humane works to us mere mortals? Or, as Fenby puts it here "I can't reconcile such hardness with such lovely music?"

Sir Thomas Beecham spoke of this great English composer as, "My friend, Delius."

I,at once,having heard the master's pronouncement, searched avidly for this composers works. I was surprised how often I had heard them played on the radio over the years.

In my opinion, Ken Russell's direction of the Movie "Delius" is an inspiration, as well as an educational introduction into the life & work of this astonishingly gifted,if somewhat quirky, Yorkshire composer.

I bought the VHS here in Australia, this very day, for a dollar! What an investment!

Well done, Ken Russell . . .

Needless to say, the music of Delius is magic . . . in the great musical tradition of England!

Music lovers will be delighted, I am sure . . . Humanists will exalt in the human spirit!

If you get the chance, get hold of the VHS by hook or by crook!

See it & pass it on to music-lover friends . . .

How many a genius, among all the great arts & sciences, has been born out of Yorkshire!

With every blessing from Felix Australis,

JOHN CAMPBELL.

Delius' music is not for everybody, I for one like it, more his more tranquil stuff(ie. On Hearing the First Cuckoo in Spring, Walk to the Paradise Garden) than his quite stirring if demanding(for singers, players and first-time viewers) choral works(ie. Mass of Life). Whether you like Delius' music or not, Song of Summer is a beautiful treat with many of worked so well in Elgar applying here just as effectively. The scenery is really lovely if the kind that needs really good weather to see it in its full glory, and the whole film is filmed exquisitely. If you don't like Ken Russell's style, don't let it deter you too much or make you dismiss him so quickly, for all his excessive and sometimes distasteful(for some) touches he has proved that with Elgar for example that he has a restrained side. Song of Summer sees Russell in restrained mode in a beautifully sensitive way, I'll be honest in saying that I prefer this side to him and that Song of Summer wouldn't have worked as effectively in any other way. The music is glorious with the lush harmonisations performed with a smooth legato and a dynamic range that doesn't distort the music in any way. It really is a real treat for the listener. The writing is funny in a subtle way, intelligent and moving, while the storytelling is truthful and fascinating, whether you know a lot about Delius, know nothing about him or know the basic facts but not the full picture(I fall in the last camp). It seems impossible not to tear up at Delius' sight of his last sunset before his blindness and Fenby seated by Delius' wheelchair dictating. Max Adrian plays the composer brilliantly in a performance that is authoritative, tyrannical and sometimes moving, Maureen Pryor is affectingly understated and Christopher Gable's Fenby is handsome, loyal and a perfect match for Adrian. In conclusion, truly beautiful, a must. 10/10 Bethany Cox

Yes, once upon a time Ken Russell was in control and was actually able to turn out a beautiful and sensitive film bio--how perfectly appropriate here, since the subject was composer Frederic Delius.

Max Adrian was superb and SO believable. I once saw a TV interview with Russell who related that, while filming this picture at the actual site of Delius' house at Grez-sur-Loing, Eric Fenby himself showed up to observe the day's shooting, and broke down into tears as he beheld young Christopher Gable playing FENBY HIMSELF, seated at the side of Delius in his wheelchair, taking down musical dictation. Imagine the overwhelmingly bittersweet shock of that event for Fenby!

Sometime in the early '80's, I met Eric Fenby in Chicago; he was here as part of a Delius Choral Festival. The Film "Song of Summer" was screened--but just barely! The BBC, at the last minute, decided NOT to send the print to Chicago and it was only through a combination of pleading and good luck that they finally agreed and sent it. I spoke with Fenby about the filming, but he seemed to wish to avoid his deeper feelings about it.

Prior to that, I had seen the film in May of 1971 on the local Chicago PBS station. To my knowledge, it is not available in any format, and probably never will be. A great shame.

I first saw this film some 40 years ago and never forgot it. Seeing it again quite recently I was pleased to see that it was every bit as good as I remembered it. I agree with other reviewers who have praised the understated quality of the film. The story itself is a good one and Russell tells it straight. It shows what a good director Russell could be when he he did not engage in self indulgence. The performances too are understated and Max Aidan as Delius is brilliant. If only Russell had exercised the same level of focus and self discipline when making Mahler we could perhaps have had another masterpiece. That composer's life has still not been adequately portrayed in film.

I recently saw the BFI DVD of this film and was totally blown away. A pity that after this excellent work Ken Russell could have gone on to make such silly films about Tchaikovsky, Liszt, and Mahler. Restraint and extravagance are perfectly balanced here, and the director's communication with the actors was obviously on an incredibly high level. The beautiful black-and-white photography and the generally excellent editing strengthen the film's lyrical but also tough impact.

I compose music myself (orchestra, ensemble, chamber) and even though I had neglected Delius' work for decades I found this to be one of the few films about a composer that MAKES SENSE, in terms of the portrayal of the creative process and of the human being behind the work. A further compliment for Ken Russell: the strong impressions aroused by his film led me to re-examine my relation to Delius' music: recordings and scores of his works have found their way into my workroom.

Ken Russell's masterpiece is probably THE DEVILS (unfortunately and incredibly still not available on integral uncensored DVD); Gothic and ALTERED STATES are certainly worth seeing; but A SONG OF SUMMER has a perfection perhaps unique in his work.

Everyone who posted comments here wrote wonderfully so I won't add any repetitions. What I wonder about this must-see film is how it might affect Americans, for example, if absolutely everyone were to see it. i.e. The President goes on national TV & streaming internet from the White House on a Sunday evening at 8PM and exhorts all to view for the next hour-and-a-half. How would the USA be changed? One could ponder the impact on various constituencies: eg. Hollywood, for one. Would we come to our senses and cease producing car-chase movies forever etc? A low budget project such as this, combined with the lower cost of shooting digital these days is likely to prove inspirational to some filmmaker somewhere now or in the future. It is viewable on YouTube at feline1104. Don't miss it !!

This TV film from 1968 about the last 5 years in the life of composer Frederick Delius is a moving and memorable experience thanks to director Ken Russell and the three stars.

Max Adrian is astonishing as Delius, a man crippled and blinded by disease. Despite his afflictions, his mind is sharp and his musical talent undiminished. Also excellent are Christopher Gable as Fenby, the young man who comes to Delius' country home to help him finish his work. And matching these performances is Maureen Pryor as the devoted wife, Jelka.

The household is truly odd with musical genius Delius at the center of everything. To him, nothing matters but his music. Fenby becomes a devoted member of the household as he loses his orthodox views about religion and marriage and becomes a member of the family. Jelka maintains the home and the semblance of normalcy, but it is revealed that she has sacrificed her own talent as a painter to serve Delius.

Russell gets very close to showing us the inner core of creating art, rather than just playing Delius' music. We see that this creation is a struggle against chaos and against the humdrum daily needs of life. With Fenby and Jelka as his buffers, Delius is able to work.

All three stars worked with Russell in other film projects. Most notably, Pryor was in THE MUSIC LOVERS, and Gable and Adrian were in THE BOY FRIEND (one of Russell's best films). Max Adrian was nominated for a British Oscar for the latter film. In SONG OF SUMMER, all three stars give award-worthy performances, and Russell shows us just how good a director he could be.

This is a must-see film for art and music lovers and ranks with CLEOPHAS AND HIS OWN as among the great art films.

I agree with the other posters, this is a gem. Ken before he went haywire, a delicate and well made film that does not deserve to languish in obscurity. I saw this on it's original BBC airing and found my old Betamax copy, which prompted my comments.

If ever there was an actor who had a signature role it was Max Adrian playing the composer Frederick Delius.Born to German parents who called him Fritz Theodor Albert Delius originally from Bielefeld Germany who then settled in Bradford Yorkshire.This was originally an Omnibus arts programme on British TV which I saw in 1968 but never forgot.I am grateful therefore to Youtube.com for the chance to see again this amazing biopic from Ken Russell in its entirety.In this production Max is ably supported by Maureen Pryor (Jelka Delius), Christopher Gable (Eric Fenby) & David Collings (Percy Grainger).

The Bohemian life style of Delius caused him to contract syphilis which eventually killed him.The scene where Jelka recounts Delius'earlier life and many affairs in Paris is moving.The dedication of Eric Fenby in helping Delius write his later work and patience in putting up with his cantankerous moods, deserved commendation.He seems to dismiss "English Music", Elgar, Parry etc and even dismisses Beethoven's second movement of his 5th Symphony when he hears it!Delius is obsessed with bringing nature and light by expressing it in his music which Eric has to try and interpret and write down just by Delius' verbal commands. I noticed Eric Fenby helped Ken Russell in the scenario in the film credits so this biopic does have a very authentic feel and in my opinion is better than Russell's biopic "The Music Lovers" with Richard Chamberlain as P.I.Tchaikowsky.