Ken Russell's film of the life of Tchaikovsky and his lunatic wife is unabashedly opulent and more than a little wacky. A woefully miscast Richard Chamberlain plays the title role and he's awful...was one of the world's great composers really THIS vapid? Glenda Jackson as his unhinged wife is a lot better..in fact she's a lot more animated than usual. She's also a lot prettier than usual donning a full head of hair and looking quite foxy in costumes that leave little to the imagination. Russell's direction is also terrific...the scenes of Jackson in an insane asylum are among the best Russell's ever done. It's certainly much better and more cerebral than Russell's later LISZTOMANIA --- that may or may not have more to do with the classy screenplay by Melvyn Bragg, but no matter, THE MUSIC LOVERS is a must see for Russell aficionados.
Review of The Music Lovers
