Jubilee (1978)

Jubilee: Directed by Derek Jarman. With Jenny Runacre, Nell Campbell, Toyah Willcox, Jordan. Queen Elisabeth I travels 400 years into the future to witness the appalling revelation of a dystopian London overrun by corruption and a vicious gang of punk guerrilla girls led by the new Monarch of Punk.

“I first saw this movie not very long after it was released here in America. It was at a small art theater and it was part of the bill with the Whou0026#39;s u0026quot;Quadrophenia.u0026quot; I had only a vague idea about Jarman and his movies, so I decided to stay and watch u0026quot;Jubilee.u0026quot; It was — and still is — quite an experience. As jumbled, rambling, and wandering as the film is, there are moments that it all seems to make a certain sense. At long last, I have the Criterion DVD so as to take a look whenever I dare. The most memorable moments are still those when Amyl Nitrate (Jordan) does her performance to Suzi Pinnu0026#39;s u0026quot;Rule Britannia.u0026quot; Is it art? Is it trash? Is it Punk or just what? The answer, of course, is, Yes. Unlike some, it seems, I can accept it for what it is, even though it not my usual fare when it comes to cinema. I think that it is certainly worth a look, particularly if one is willing to be open-minded and see something quite different than the usual predictable, tepid movie fare that makes the merely bland seem exciting. I doubt that this will make Roger Ebertu0026#39;s list of Great Movies, but nice to see something actually different….”