Review of Jubilee (1978) by Brandon M — 16 Dec 2008

Derek Jarman comes from the Why-Use-a-Normal-Person-When-You-Could-Use-a-Midget school of arthouse filmmaking. This is a crazy mix of an intellectual John Waters film, A Clockwork Orange with Vivienne Westwood fashion thrown in.

As an actual film Jubilee is inept on almost every level- poor acting (except for the amazing Toyah Willcox who gives a blazing debut performance as the mad Mad), an accidentaly highly conservative message, unconvincing makeup and "special effects".

But as a time capsule Jubilee is endlessly fascinating. Jarman takes punk's nihilism to it's logical extreme and shows a lawless future. He skewers monarchy, socialism, facism, and anarchy with equal glee.

I'm actually surprised that aren't more films from late 70s England like Jubilee- the punk rock movement never translated into a cinematic movement. But for better or worse Jubilee is the cinematic anthem that punk rock deserves.