The Last of

Derek Jarman’s The Last of
England, though by no means
accessible, is a_ film that is
worth seeing for anyone inter-
ested in a couple hours of vivid
cinematic angst. Yes, the ever-
mutating collection of adjectives
prepares to spring predictably
forth; frenzied, lyric, provocative,
sinister, gorgeous, homo-erotic,
outrageous, wrenchingly beauti-
ful, florid, expressionistic, ele-
gaic, painterly... It is dia-
logueless except for a few inter-
ludes during which a poet, with
all the doom n’ gloom splendour
that wide angle black & white
can endow, reads pleasantly
twisted verse about mutating
bureaucracies and the corruption
of youth. The film is a staccato
montage of 8mm, B & W, and
video that reveals Jarman’s
apocalyptic view of present day
reality. Pan shots of urban
wasteland, home movies, terror-
ist pantomime and images of
surreal discord are spliced to-
gether to create a shattered,
poetic vision of torment. Despite
much imagery that falls in the
prodigious ‘stunning’ category,
The Last of England is too long
for its own good. Repeated
images of lost souls wandering
rock video style though rubble
wears thin after a while. But
regardless of its shortcomings, a
film with as much personal ex-
pression and visual power as

The Last of England is too sel-
dom seen on the big screen.

The Last of England is pre-
miering at the Van. East Cinema
until Dec.14.

Conrad Gmoser

England

planet of the arts winter edition

The Last of England

Derek Jarman’s The Last of
England, though by no means
accessible, is a_ film that is
worth seeing for anyone inter-
ested in a couple hours of vivid
cinematic angst. Yes, the ever-
mutating collection of adjectives
prepares to spring predictably
forth; frenzied, lyric, provocative,
sinister, gorgeous, homo-erotic,
outrageous, wrenchingly beauti-
ful, florid, expressionistic, ele-
gaic, painterly... Itis dia-
logueless except for a few inter-
ludes during which a poet, with
all the doom n’ gloom splendour
that wide angle black & white
can endow, reads pleasantly
twisted verse about mutating
bureaucracies and the corruption
of youth. The film is a staccato
montage of 8mm, B & W, and
video that reveals Jarman's
apocalyptic view of present day
reality. Pan shots of urban
wasteland, home movies, terror-
ist pantomime and images of
surreal discord are spliced to-
gether to create a shattered,
Poetic vision of torment. Despite
much imagery that falls in the
prodigious ‘stunning’ category,
The Last of England is too long
for its own good. Repeated
images of lost souls wandering,
rock video style though rubble
wears thin after a while. But
regardless of its shortcomings, a
film with as much personal ex-
pression and visual power as
The Last of England is too sel-
dom seen on the big screen.

The Last of England is pre-
miering at the Van. East Cinema
until Dec. 14.

Conrad Gmoser

planet of the arts winter edition