Marianne believerThe iconic English singer and songwriter who first appeared in the mid-1960s and then returned after years of personal problems, including heroin addiction and homelessness, with her masterful album from 1979 “Broken English”, died surrounded by her family in her London- Home on January 30. Also known primarily for her music, in the late 1960s she began a career as a film actress (most famous for “The girl on a motorcycle”) It was briefly of concern in her life. She was 78.
Initially, it was initially known for “As Tears Go By” in 1964 when she was only 17 (the song was co -written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards), her father was a career military man and intelligence official and Italian literary professor, her mother from Austrian -Hungarian nobility. She was originally discovered by Andrew Loog Oldham, Rolling Stones manager.
She quickly fell into Stones (eventually Jagger’s Lover and sometime Muse), and during this time became better known for her association with members of London’s increasingly fashionable music scene than subsequent recordings.
Her acting career in film, television and the scene extended for almost six decades. Most of her film work is now a bit known but includes acting in prominent roles for major directors.
She first dived out as herself in Jean-Luc Godard1966 virtually improvised “Made in the United States.” Her stage debut was at London’s Royal Court Theater in Chekhov’s “Three Sisters” with Glenda Jackson.
“I will never forget what is’isname,” made for Universal in England in 1968 with future director Michael winner and with Orson Welles and Oliver Reed, reinforced her image as a creative norm-hatter. Denied an MPAA certificate (just before grade began) depicted the comedies references to previously limited sexual activity, with her who expressed an early (about hidden) “fuck” in the dialogue.
“The girl on a motorcycle,” also in 1968, gave her her first leading part and also best known. Directed by Jack Cardiff (legendary British cinematographer, but also head of “Sons and Lovers”), she played a restless newlyweds fleeing on her appreciated motorcycle to reunite with a new lover (Alain Delon). Filled with drug and alcohol-powered scenes, it is a time capsule for a short period when studio films tried to catch the youth place. Its more lasting memory is for mainstreaming leather in general audience award (this was a Warner Bros. movie).
It was planned to premiere at Cannes 1968, but that festival was canceled. With the beginning of MPAA rating in the same November, it received the first X-grade (the first year several films that would soon be ranked R for similar content was awarded that, including “Midnight Cowboy.”) The film was a success in France and UK, but got some traction in the US
The same year she played Florence Nightingale on stage in “Early Morning”, she was also cast as Ophelia in a production of “Hamlet” by Tony Richardson (“Tom Jones”). Richardson then included her in her film version, also in 1969, along with Nicol Williamson and Anthony Hopkins.
As her life became increasingly difficult, acting roles became fewer. She showed up in Kenneth Angers 29-minute’s short “Lucifer Rising” (but made years earlier, not released until 1980), and a handful of slightly seen movies like “Assault on Agathon”, a Greek spy thriller in 1975. That year she had Several additional stage performances in the United Kingdom.
When she returned to film in the 1990s, it was mostly in independent projects, and often as a narrator or otherwise used her raspy voice (very different from her original song). These films include Sara Driver’s “When Pigs Fly” (1992), “Shopping” (1993, the first film from Paul WS Anderson, later an important genre director and Jude Law’s first main role), Patrice Chéreau’s “Intimacy” (Berlin 2001 Golden Bear -winner), Gus van Sant’s segment in “Paris, Je T’aime” (2006) and Empress Maria Therese in Sofia Coppola’s “Marie Antoinette” (2006).
“Irina Palm” (2007), a lead role, saw her get a best actress nomination from the European Film Academy for playing a 60-year-old woman reduced to being a sex worker to pay for her son’s medical bills. It had significant success in Europe, but only a smaller American release.
In “Dune” (2021) she expressed a Bene Gesserit -Lear that heard in Paul Atreide’s visions.
Although she has a personal history that in some way in parallel with Amy Winehouse is among Faithuled’s great achievements that she not only survived but composed double careers in both music and to a lesser extent film. She did so long after traumas that would have ended the most. In retrospect, it feels like a big loss that she was much less a presence on film than she could have been.
