This TV film from 1968 about the last 5 years in the life of composer Frederick Delius is a moving and memorable experience thanks to director Ken Russell and the three stars.
Max Adrian is astonishing as Delius, a man crippled and blinded by disease. Despite his afflictions, his mind is sharp and his musical talent undiminished. Also excellent are Christopher Gable as Fenby, the young man who comes to Delius' country home to help him finish his work. And matching these performances is Maureen Pryor as the devoted wife, Jelka.
The household is truly odd with musical genius Delius at the center of everything. To him, nothing matters but his music. Fenby becomes a devoted member of the household as he loses his orthodox views about religion and marriage and becomes a member of the family. Jelka maintains the home and the semblance of normalcy, but it is revealed that she has sacrificed her own talent as a painter to serve Delius.
Russell gets very close to showing us the inner core of creating art, rather than just playing Delius' music. We see that this creation is a struggle against chaos and against the humdrum daily needs of life. With Fenby and Jelka as his buffers, Delius is able to work.
All three stars worked with Russell in other film projects. Most notably, Pryor was in THE MUSIC LOVERS, and Gable and Adrian were in THE BOY FRIEND (one of Russell's best films). Max Adrian was nominated for a British Oscar for the latter film. In SONG OF SUMMER, all three stars give award-worthy performances, and Russell shows us just how good a director he could be.
This is a must-see film for art and music lovers and ranks with CLEOPHAS AND HIS OWN as among the great art films.