posted
(I posted the following message from another newsgroup board that I belong to, but I think it can also apply here.)
"O Lucky Man!" (1973) is the late Lindsay Anderson's sprawling, semi-surreal, allegorical story of a coffee company trainee salesman who stumbles through several adventures, has a brief stint in international finance, and then settles down to become a do-gooder. Malcolm McDowell, Arthur Lowe, Sir Ralph Richardson, and Rachel Roberts lead the fine cast and play multiple roles in this lengthy (three hours!) film. Think of it as a modern-day mixture of Voltaire's "Candide" and John Bunyan's "Pilgrim's Progress" novels.
A long, strange trip indeed! And completely unpredictable, unlike most movies.
And through it all, a wonderful musical score by Alan Price, the keyboardist of the Eric Burdon's group, The Animals.
The film received much praise from critics, but was mostly neglected by the public when it first came out. Sadly, the film was shut out in the Academy Awards' nomination process. If you're in the mood for something off-beat, this one is certainly worth hunting at your video store.
I saw it twice: in the late 70's at an art-house theater, and again in the mid-80's on VHS.
Unfortunately, there are no DVD versions of this movie yet.
Posts: 3385 | From: Sacramento, California, USA | Registered: Sep 2002 | Site Updates: 0
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posted
Dude...is this other newsgroup you're involved with about 'quality films'...I've been looking for something like that, so let me know.
I know of "O Lucky Man"...is it considered part of that 'angry young man' Brit cinema that pervaded the '60s -- "Look Back In Anger", "Saturday Night, Sunday Morning", etc.
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Kash
Kash : Aha! He'll save every one of us...
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A film I've been meaning to see but for the lengthy running time, the early riotous days of acting legend Malcolm McDowell, I have seen the movie 'If...' which was also by Lindsay Anderson I think, that too was a surreal and at times rathur disturbing picture: if one were to watch these two films and 'A Clockwork Orange' in one go they'd be forgiven for thing McDowell is one 'out-there' individual.
The only kind of simialr film today was a movie called 'Christie Malory's Own Double Entry' starrting Nick Moran (who was in 'Lock, Stock...'): good film, excellent acting and worth checking out.
Posts: 2041 | From: The Ice Planet Hoth | Registered: Jul 2001 | Site Updates: 0
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Some old Brit stuff pops up every now & then when I'm channel surfing -- have recently seen bits & pieces of "The Girl With Green Eyes" and "The Knack."
I seriously wish there was an arthouse that ran old stuff like this...then again, I'm lucky enough to have a place that runs new stuff...oh, well.
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posted
Actually, 'O Lucky Man!' was part of an unofficial trilogy by Lindsay Anderson which started with 'If...' and ended with 'Britannia Hospital' (featuring Mark Hamill!). They're all really odd films that examine the changing British culture from the sixties to the eighties. There's a bit in O Lucky Man! when McDowell walks past a record shop, and the window is full of the 'new' album from T.Rex 'The Slider'! I don't know why, but that always gives me a kick. Ah, it's a real timepiece!
Posts: 3383 | From: England | Registered: May 2003 | Site Updates: 21
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quote:Dude...is this other newsgroup you're involved with about 'quality films'...I've been looking for something like that, so let me know.
The other newsgroup has nothing to do with films, at least not specifically. It was from a group called "BadBart", where the members (me included) talk about NTN Trivia, an interactive trivia game found in selected sports bars, nightclubs, and cocktail lounges. I believe Sam Hain here is also an NTN Trivia player, though probably not a BadBart member.
Anyways, BadBart discussions involve the trivia questions and game we played. But it also branches and evolves out to other topics: current affairs, movies, music, life experiences, etc.
It's just that in this particular case, one other BadBart member was discussing movies from the late 60's and early 70's, and "O Lucky Man!" just came up. And that triggered a response from me, because it was such a memory jog!
Hipster, about the other part of your post:
quote:I know of "O Lucky Man"...is it considered part of that 'angry young man' Brit cinema that pervaded the '60s -- "Look Back In Anger", "Saturday Night, Sunday Morning", etc.
Almost, though not quite. Those films that you mentioned were made during the first half of the 1960's. They were generally shot in black-and-white, and covered then-contemporary themes with a bleak but brutally realistic and somewhat depressing look, and involved stories set amongst the working (blue collar) class. This kind of style is sometimes known as "kitchen sink realism".
But "O Lucky Man!" is from 1973, shot in color, and is more of a social satire.
BTW, "O Lucky Man!" director Lindsay Anderson did make one great film from that style and period: "This Sporting Life" (1963), starring Richard Harris as a coal miner who has ambitions in becoming a star rugby player, but his inner crudeness and angry nature prevent him from climbing social circles. I would also recommend that movie too!
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