British film director Ken Russell dies, aged 84

Nov 28, 2011, 13:28 GMT

London - British film director Ken Russell, who gained both fame and notoriety with his provocative 1970s works on sex and religion, has died at the age of 84, his son said Monday.

Russell died on Sunday in a hospital following a series of strokes, Alex Verney-Elliott said. He was born in Southampton, in southern England, on July 3, 1927.

His best-known works include the Oscar-nominated film Women in Love, a 1969 adaptation of the D H Lawrence novel, the X-rated religious drama The Devils, based on Aldous Huxley's novel, and The Who's rock opera Tommy, starring Elton John, Eric Clapton, Tina Turner, Jack Nicholson and Oliver Reed.

Film-maker Michael Winner hailed Russell's 'enormous contribution' to British cinema.

Former actress Glenda Jackson, who won an Oscar for her performance in Women in Love, said Russell's talent had been 'ignored' by the British film industry.

'His contribution to cinema, not only in this country, but also internationally, will last,' said Jackson, who is now a politician in Britain's Labour Party.

After the 1970s, a decade of controversy and acclaim, Russell went on to direct a succession of remarkable films for both cinema and television.

These included The Music Lovers, Savage Messiah, Mahler, Lisztomania and Valentino.

Later, Russell made a number of small budget films, including Crimes of Passion, Gothic, Salome's Last Dance and the cult horror-comedy The Lair of the White Worm, starring a young Hugh Grant.