Privilege Summary
Director: Peter Watkins
Genres: Drama, Science Fiction
Rating:
After directing several extraordinary documentaries for the BBC, including the award-winning The_War_Game and Culloden, Peter_Watkins made his first dramatic feature with this flawed but striking film about Steven Shorter (Paul_Jones), a pop singer in a future society where entertainment is controlled by a totalitarian government. Shorter's music and image are used to channel the impulses of rebellious youth; in one concert sequence, the crowd watches him sing a plaintive plea for love and understanding while locked in a cage surrounded by police officers armed with clubs. While Shorter is remarkably popular, he's also living a life created for him by the government, which Steven knows is a sham. When Shorter's handlers decide to revamp his image into that of an obedient, religious boy, he rebels, to his peril. Model Jean_Shrimpton made her film debut here as an artist commissioned to paint a portrait of Shorter. Privilege later became something of a cult film; one of the film's admirers was rock poet Patti_Smith, who recorded one of "Steven Shorter"'s songs, "Set Me Free," on her 1978 album Easter. Mark Deming, Rovi
Great Film Moments:
- In Theaters
- This Week
- Coming Soon
- New on DVD
Browse More Movies:
