Ken Russell

KEN RUSSELL d2011. British film director, known for his pioneering work in television and film and for his flamboyant and controversial style. His films in the main were liberal adaptations of existing texts or biographies notably of composers of the Romantic era. He began directing for the BBC, where he made creative adaptations of composers' lives which were unusual for the time. He also directed many feature films independently and for studios. He is best known for his Oscar-winning film ; Women in Love (1969) / The Devils (1971) / The Who's Tommy (1975) and the science fiction film Altered States (1980). He also directed several films based on the lives of classical music composers including ; Elgar / Delius / Tchaikovsky / Mahler and Liszt. He died in Hampshire aged 84 on November 27th 2011