Glitterbug
Derek Jarman, GB 1994; Co-Director: David Lewis; Editing: Andy Crabb; Music: Brian Eno; Cast: Tilda Swinton u. a. DCP (from Super 8), color and bw, 60 minPreceded by:
Electric Fairy Derek Jarman, GB 1971. DCP (from Super 8), color, 6 min
Begun under Jarman's guidance in his final weeks and completed by his bereaved friends after his death, this kaleidoscopic, diaristic, scrapbook‑like hop through two filmmaking decades – assembled from his Super‑8 "home movies" – is a dying man's life flashing before our eyes. The emphasis is on outsiders, the marginalized, brave cultural crusaders: queer scene, fashion scene, bohemian scene, punk scene, glam scene. Accompanied by one of Brian Eno's greatest ambient scores, the film is a delicious gallimaufry powered by simple human warmth: the love felt by Jarman for his collaborators is palpable, and vice versa. From proudly displayed genitalia to a regally stunning Tilda Swinton, the freewheeling montage encompasses a representative sampling of Jarman's passions and preoccupations. In critic Dylan Rowen's phrase, Glitterbug "jitters, glitters, and shimmers with a life well lived." (N.Y.)