Henry Kenneth Alfred Russell was a British film director, known for his pioneering work in television and film and for his flamboyant and controversial style. His films were mainly liberal adaptations of existing texts, or biographies, notably of composers of the Romantic era. Russell 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.
Russell in 1971
Producer Andre de Toth, Ken Russell, and Michael Caine in Helsinki during production of Billion Dollar Brain, in Sofiankatu, Finland (1967)
Russell in 2002
Women in Love is a 1969 British romantic drama film directed by Ken Russell and starring Alan Bates, Oliver Reed, Glenda Jackson, and Jennie Linden. The film was adapted by Larry Kramer from D.H. Lawrence's 1920 novel Women in Love. It was the first film to be released by Brandywine Productions.
Theatrical release poster