Review of Performance. (1970) by Darcy L — 08 Jun 2009

Movies don't get much weirder and psychedelic than this. If you enjoy british crime capers with layers of rock 'n' roll and violence and a twisted core, this is your film. A commercial flop for Warner Bros but a cult gem amongst those in the know, Performance is still the template and high water mark for every post 60's gangster film since.

The frenetic editing and fusion of music and counterculture references makes it one of the most thrilling, complex movies of it's time. No doubt it has inspired countless directors, the most obvious being Guy Ritchie, whose 'Snatch' and 'Lock,Stock.

..' which to a great extent both emulates and pays homage to this groundbreaking film. It is also the acting debut of Mick Jagger who is surprisingly good in his role of a drugged out musician. There is an amazing sequence where he plays a Robert Johnson song and another where he is singing a song to the camera that might possibly be the earliest rock video.

The plot is simple but hard to follow; a tough as nails gangster on the run from his boss and crew, takes up as lodger of a washed up rock star. The first hour focuses on the James Fox character doing his thug thing and doing it well, the second half finds him being manipulated by Jagger and his lovers into taking drugs and examining/ transforming his persona to escape death.

What follows is a complicated series of strange events involving a reversal of roles and a surprise ending that I simply can't explain. You have to just see the damn film to believe it and you won't be disappointed.

It is not an easy film to digest or watch and will likely take several viewings for the average person to process everything. Totally and insanely brilliant!