The Last of England **** (1987, Tilda Swinton, Spencer Leigh, ‘Spring’ Mark Adley) – Classic Movie Review 6496

Director Derek Jarman’s 1987 British renaissance experimental film provides a furious personal broadside, using the sometimes modest means at his disposal – old home movies and Super-8, as well as disturbing scenes of crumbling inner-city London and Belfast, some poetic lyricism and gay eroticism – to illustrate his version of the fall of England under Margaret Thatcher.

Despite the low budget, it is a very well made, extremely powerful mix of sound and vision, filmed in Belfast and London. This state-of-the-nation address is perhaps Jarman’s most ambitious and personal project, summing up all he regarded as wrong in Eighties Britain. He is angry about the loss and destruction of traditional English culture in the Eighties.

It is named after a painting by the artist Ford Madox Brown.

The cast includes Tilda Swinton (The Maid), Spencer Leigh (Soldier/ various roles), Gerrard McArthur, Jonny Phillips, Gay Gaynor, Matthew Hawkins (Junkyard Guy) and ‘Spring’ Mark Adley. Nigel Terry provides the voice of the narrator.

It is in black and white and colour.

It is written by Derek Jarman, shot by Derek Jarman and Christopher Hughes, produced by James Mckay and Don Boyd, and scored by Simon Turner and Andy Gill.

Jarman received the 1988 Teddy Award in Berlin for the film.

© Derek Winnert 2017 Classic Movie Review 6496

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