More4 continues its celebration of director Ken Russell's 80th birthday with Women in Love, his third major feature. Apart from the infamous male nude wrestling scene, it's a surprisingly straight adaptation of the DH Lawrence novel, winning Glenda Jackson her first Oscar and Russell his only Oscar nomination.
Set initially in the 1920s mining community of Nottinghamshire, it follows school inspector Rupert Birkin (Alan Bates) and an industrialist, Gerald Crouch (Oliver Reed), who meet and woo two sisters - Gudrun (Jackson) and Ursula Brangwen (Jennie Linden).
Rupert starts seeing Gudrun, while Gerald courts Ursula. The quartet attend a wedding celebration but are devastated by the deaths of the newlyweds. Soon, Rupert and Gudrun are married. Gerald and Ursula follow, and both couples decide to honeymoon in Switzerland. As they all struggle to balance happiness and propriety in a repressive world, betrayal and tragedy awaits them...
Those used to Russell's maverick direction will be surprised by this film; he shows considerable restraint, allowing much of Lawrence's original to shine through. Essential viewing for any Russell and DH Lawrence fans.
Women in Love is a Film programme that first aired in 1969 and has been classified a 18 certificate.
