Absolute Beginners (film)
| Absolute Beginners | |
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Theatrical release poster
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| Directed by | Julien Temple |
| Produced by |
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| Written by | Richard Burridge |
| Starring |
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| Cinematography | Oliver Stapleton |
| Edited by | Gerry Hambling |
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Production
companies |
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| Distributed by | Palace Pictures |
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Release date
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Running time
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108 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Budget | £8.4 million |
| Box office | £1.8 million |
| Absolute Beginners: The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack | ||
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| Soundtrack album by Various Artists | ||
| Released | 7 April 1986 | |
| Genre | Jazz, acid jazz, downtempo, pop, rock | |
| Label | Virgin Records | |
| Producer | Clive Langer & Alan Winstanley | |
| Singles from Absolute Beginners: The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack | ||
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Absolute Beginners is a 1986 British rock musical film adapted from Colin MacInnes' book of the same name about life in late 1950s London. The film was directed by Julien Temple, featured David Bowie and Sade, and Patsy Kensit in one of her first mainstream roles. The film was screened out of competition at the 1986 Cannes Film Festival.
Upon release, Absolute Beginners received immense coverage in the British media. At the time, the British film industry was perceived as being on the point of collapse (with the recent failure of the film Revolution). However, the film was panned by critics and became a box office bomb. Some of the criticisms included stylistic anachronisms, such as the mini-skirt and decidedly 1980s music from the likes of The Style Council and Sade, the bowdlerisation of Kensit's character (Crepe Suzette had been depicted as a promiscuous "negrophile" in the book), and the casting of Bowie, who made it a condition of his musical contribution. Although the film was not a success, Bowie's theme song was very popular in the UK and reached number two in the charts.
The commercial failure of Absolute Beginners and another film released about the same time, The Mission, led to the collapse of Goldcrest, a major British film studio.
The film takes place in 1958, a time in which pop culture is transforming from 1950s jazz and early rock to a new generation on the verge of the 1960s. London is post-World War II, but pre-Beatles/Stones. The storyline incorporates elements of the 1958 Notting Hill race riots.
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Wikipedia