Savage Messiah

Savage Messiah is a 1972 British biographical drama film of the life of French sculptor Henri Gaudier-Brzeska, made by Russ-Arts and distributed by MGM. It was directed and produced by Ken Russell, with Harry Benn as associate producer, from a screenplay by Christopher Logue, based on the 1931 book Savage Messiah by H. S. Ede. Much of the content of Ede's book came from letters sent between Henri Gaudier-Brzeska and his lover Sophie Brzeska. The musical score was by Michael Garrett – though music by Claude Debussy, Alexander Scriabin, and Sergei Prokofiev was also used – and the cinematography by Dick Bush. The sets were designed by Derek Jarman. Cast Dorothy Tutin as Sophie Brzeska Scott Antony as Henri Gaudier Helen Mirren as Gosh Boyle Lindsay Kemp as Angus Corky Michael Gough as M. Gaudier John Justin as Lionel Shaw Aubrey Richards as Mayor Peter Vaughan as Museum Attendant Ben Aris as Thomas Buff Eleanor Fazan as Madam Gaudier Otto Diamant as Mr. Saltzman Imogen Claire as Mavis Judith Paris as Kate Production The film was based on the biography by Jim Ede, who had discovered the story while working at the Tate Gallery. Ede had acquired Sophie Brzeska's estate in 1927 from the British Treasury Solicitor after she died intestate. This acquisition included not only her writings, but also the estate of Henri Gaudier, with many of his works and papers. Ede drew extensively on the letters written by Gaudier to Brzeska, and her writings and other material, when he published A Life of Gaudier-Brzeska (London: W. Heinemann) in 1930; the 1931 and later editions are entitled Savage Messiah.