The Music Lovers (1971) ****

1971's The Music Lovers is a biopic of Tchaikovsky as only that cinema madman Ken Russell could make—a melodramatic, idiosyncratic, gonzo picture with plenty of visual flair by cinematographer Douglas Slocombe. In the hands of Russell, the film is a horny, fantastical, and over the top affair about the human struggle to be true to oneself. 

It's wild that three Russell films were released in 1971 alone—this one, followed by the notorious The Devils (review), and the sweet and gentle period musical The Boy Friend (review). The contemporary reviews of TML were not kind, but, as with the best misunderstood works and geniuses, time has been good to Russell.

Ken Russell Feature Films Ranked