Jubilee is a 1978 film by Derek Jarman. He was a artist and a film maker. I can't recall ever seeing it when it was new. Sperhauk got it from the library. He had seen it years ago and while he wasn't that keen on it then, he thought he'd give it another shot. Sometimes you come back to a film or a book later in life and you can enjoy it more than you did the first time. Or less. I was actually interested, I didn't think I had seen it before, I just wasn't sure. John Dee sends Queen Elizabeth I to 1970's England to see what her kingdom has become. The movie is out from Criterion so you know they think the movie has something significant to say. The dvd box says:
When Queen Elizabeth I asks her court alchemist to show her England in the future, she’s transported 400 years to a post-apocalyptic wasteland of roving girl gangs, an all-powerful media mogul, fascistic police, scattered filth, and twisted sex. With Jubilee, legendary British filmmaker Derek Jarman channeled political dissent and artistic daring into a revolutionary blend of history and fantasy, musical and cinematic experimentation, satire and anger, fashion and philosophy. With its uninhibited punk petulance and sloganeering, Jubilee, brings together many cultural and musical icons of the time, including Jordan, Toyah Willcox, Little Nell, Wayne County, Adam Ant, and Brian Eno (with his first original film score), to create a genuinely unique, unforgettable vision. Ahead of its time and often frighteningly accurate in its predictions, it is a fascinating historical document and a gorgeous work of film art.
I thought calling 1970's London a post-apocalyptic wasteland was misleading but that's buzzwordy and might sells some dvds. As fucked up as London might have been then, it sure wasn't all wastelandy. Mind you the movie isn't a whole lot of things. It's barely a movie, plotless, not quite pointless. It isn't entertaining, even a topless Little Nell isn't quite enough to make me want to pick up a copy, or watch it again. I just Googled her and picked up a screen cap from some kind soul. The movie is packed with punks and punk attitude but hardly any good punk music. It hasn't got a good story, meandering around, shouting at the world how much it sucks, who needs that. It was so boring that Mike couldn't even fall asleep. How sad is that.
Our second feature was Lonely Street which I blogged about last August. I enjoyed it again.
I watched Jubilee the other night afte4r reading your review. What a strange movie. I won't watch it again either. I watch several Adam Ant videos after the movie and I think a few of the actors are in his videos too.
Posted by: Max Braun | March 16, 2013 at 11:24 PM