Permissive (1970)

The film Permissive, directed by Lindsay Shonteff and released in 1970, was another British movie penetrating the promiscuous Rock scene of late 1960's and early 1970's. Just like Groupie Girl (also made in 1970), Permissive, focuses on the groupie phenomenon. The film tells the story of Suzy (Maggie Stride) - a shy and slightly naive teenage girl who comes to London to stay with her old friend Fiona (Gay Singleton). Fiona is an experienced groupie, who hangs out with prog band Forever More (who were a real-live band signed to RCA). She introduces Suzy into a world of scuzzy toilet venues, musicians on the rise, dodgy roadies, grubby hotel rooms and of course, sex and drugs..

But soon, the student beats the master. Initially shy Suzy quickly finds her way in this new, promiscuous world, which inevitably lead to a conflict with Fiona, since they both fighting for attention of Forever More's lead singer Lee (unbelievably hairy Allan Gorrie).

   There are interesting similarities between Permissive and Groupie Girl. Both films were made with an intention to cash-up on notoriety of groupies and rock musicians. Both sought to explore - not necessarily exploit - counterculture. Both were made by directors known for making sexploitation flicks, which resulted in Permissive and Groupie Girl being unfairly branded as such. Although sex exploitation is depicted in both films, it is not a main focus point of either. It would be wrong to put them in the same category as, for example, Confessions Of Pop Performer (1974). Neither Groupie Girl nor Permissive try to glamorise the scene or a lifestyle.But although the films were aimed at the older audience, they don't overly try to moralise or condemn the choices of protagonists (something American films of the era often did). Permissive and Groupie Girl are characterised  by their brutal realism which brings to mind kitchen-sink dramas of early 1960's (such comparison is furthered by unmistakably British sets -  gray skies, rain etc. and the depiction of grubby, un-swinging London in Permissive).

But there are substantial differences between two films as well. Unlike Groupie Girl, Permissive almost aspires to be an arthouse film which is particularly visible in the way film was shot. There is a generous use of flash-cuts, clearly inspired by Easy Rider (1969). Just like in Easy Rider, where you can see a flash-cut premonition of Peter Fonda's and Dennis Hopper's death during a scene at the brothel, in Permissive, the viewer is teased with the flash-cuts of future (and past) scenes all throughout the film, but without major disruptions in film chronology.

 But the biggest difference between the two films is whom the films vilify. In Groupie Girl,, it was the musicians.In Permissive, it's the groupies.As  film critic IQ Hunter writes in his essay about Permissive, "If not exactly feminist, the film echoes feminist disillusionment with the counterculture's ideology of free love. As in "Groupie Girl", the men are arrogantly misogynistic and possessive and women are tolerated insofar as they are useful for sex or chores. (...) Suzy succeeds as as a groupie because she understands the band's misogyny(...) and learns to beat the men at their own game of strategic promiscuity (...) What is missing of course is any sense of female solidarity, and it is Fiona who pays the price for Suzy's own icily methodical exploitation of men's fecklessness and lust.

The original score in permissive is really good - a mixture of heavy psych and prog. Acts that contributed songs to Permissive (apart from Forever More) include prog rockers Comus and Titus Groan.

And, of course there are some great 1960's and early 1970's fashions, both male and female. That alone is a reason enough to watch Permissive...
      

Permissive was recently released on DVD by BFI Flipside. One of the bonus features on the disc is an hour- long comedy from 1971 titled Bread. This film, dug out from a deep obscurity by BFI, was directed by Stanley Long and written by Suzanne Mercer (who, incidentally, were both involved in Groupie Girl - Suzanne Mercer wrote a script based on her own experiences as a groupie). The film follows the misadventures of a group of hippies, who decide to organise a rock festival on the grounds belonging to rich businessman. It is a pretty funny comedy of errors and while watching it, I couldn't help wondering whether it inspired short-lived (but much - underrated) 90's sitcom set in 60's titled Hippies, which starred young Simon Pegg... 

Stills from Bread (1971)

I recommend both, Permissive and Bread to anybody who is interested in music and fashion of late 1960's/early 1970's counterculture.

Source of the quotation: Essay "Permissive" by IQ Hunter in a booklet  - part a BFI Flipside DVD release of "Permissive".

The Sixties In Poland - Part Two

After examining Polish 60's Beat/Garage/Psyche scene in my last post, now I would like to focus on depictions of 1960's youth in Polish cinema of the time. Using stills from various films, I want to show some surprisingly cool looks and talk about a few fashion/screen icons of that time.
If you're a 1960's cinema aficionado, you may know that just like Britain had its 'Kitchen Sink' movement and France had Nouvelle Vague, Poland had so-called Polish Film School movement - named after Film Academy in Lodz, the alumni of which included Roman Polanski, Andrzej Wajda, Jerzy Skolimowski or Jerzy Kawalerowicz. Some of them left Poland for political reasons - like Roman Polanski  who left in 1962 after his debut full-length feature, Knife In The Water, was criticised heavily by Polish authorities (despite being a first Polish film nominated for Academy Award). Jerzy Skolimowski left in 1967, after his film Rece Do Gory! (Hands Up!) - a surrealistic attack on political ruling class - was banned and shelved. Poland's loss became America's gain  - certainly as far as Roman Polanski is concerned. By the late 1960's , he became one of the Hollywood's brightest stars, and despite the series of tragedies and scandals he continues to be a successful filmmaker to this day. Skolimowski, after an unsuccessful attempt at career in Hollywood, settled in Britain where he made some great films like Deep End (1970) or Shout!(1978). But most of Polish Film School directors decided to stay in the country, and fight for their right to be Polish artists in Poland - like Andrzej Wajda - four time Oscar nominee - who was arguably the greatest Polish director of all time.

However, I don't really want to talk about cinema as such. Here, I am merely using it to depict popular styles, fashions, etc. Most of the films I am using here are quite obscure even in Poland,and certainly not all of them are particularly important as cinematic pieces of art. Some of them are really good, some are dead-on average. To my knowledge, none of them was ever distributed in English-speaking countries, or perhaps even anywhere outside Poland. In any case, they do contain little scenes in which you can some great 1960's styles.

Still from a comedy titled Malzenstwo Z Rozsadku (Sensible Marriage) from 1966. Polish Mod girl who wouldn't look out of place on Carnaby Street. Not sure about the guy, though. He looks quite out of place even on the streets of Warsaw.

Few stills from a film Beata (It's a name, Polish for Betty) from 1964

The film is a story of Beata - rebellious teenage girl  who tries to fight the hypocrisy of her parents and teachers. When her best friend becomes pregnant after one-night stand, and subsequently expelled from school, Beata runs away from home,  partly as a form of protest, partly intending to find a guy who got her friend in trouble,and partly to annoy her own bickering parents and conservative teachers.

It was probably one of the first Polish films to deal with a subject of ten pregnancy or teenage rebellion.

The role of Beata is played by Pola Raksa, who was one of the most popular Polish actresses of 1960's. She is also generally thought to be the most beautiful Polish actress of all-time. Despite having very successful  career in the 1960's, she decided to quit acting as the decade came to an end, to focus on a new career as a fashion designer.


Few stills from the film Rozwodow Nie Bedzie ( There Isn't Gonna Be A Divorce) from 1963.

It's a story of three young couples and their lives shortly before, and right after their weddings.

That slightly androgynous-looking brunette above is a model-turned-actress named Teresa Tuszynska. She came to considerable fame after starring in cult Polish Film School movie Do Widzenia, Do Jutra (Goodbye, See You Tomorrow) in 1960.


Few stills from great Gothic thriller Gdzie Jest Trzeci Krol? (Where Is The Third King?) from 1963.

It is a great story of the mysterious deaths and robberies in a secluded countryside museum.

Few scenes from 1965 film Sam Posrod Miasta (Alone In The City)

This often overlooked Polish Film School movie was clearly inspired by French New Wave  - It resembles early 1960's films of Jean-Luc Godard, although it's way more coherent.

It's story of an engineer, who is about to go for a two-year work placement abroad. He misses his plane and has to wait 24 hours for next one. He already gave up his flat, so for a day and night he wanders around streets of  Warsaw, reminiscing about his life there, bumping into mates, drinking and smoking in jazz clubs and having random conversations with strangers.

In one scene, the young girl which main character is trying to pull, takes him to a Mod/Beat club full of sharp-suited boys and girls in minis with bobs.

In 1965, the influence of Mod subculture on fashion was so enormous, it made its way behind iron curtain.


Stills from the film Lekarstwo Na Milosc (The Cure For Love) from 1965

It's a comedy about a robbery gone wrong, with a romantic subplot. The actress with impressive hairdo was a famous sex symbol and fashion icon in Poland in 1960's. Her name was Kalina Jedrusik. She was known for her voluptuous shapes and her flair for femme fatale - type roles.

 


The guy in the photo below was probably the most famous Polish actor, not only of the 1960's, but possibly of all time. His name was Zbigniew Cybulski. Known as 'Polish James Dean' he was a male symbol of cool. His role in most famous Polish Film School movie - Andrzej Wajda's Ashes and Diamonds (1958), elevated him to the status of a star.In that film his character - Warsaw Uprising veteran - wore sunglasses to protect his eyes from the sunlight after months spent fighting in underground sewers. But the sunglasses became such a trademark of Cybulski, that he subsequently wore them for the rest of his career (occasionally exchanging them for normal glasses, like he did in Alone In The City).Cybulski died in a freak accident while trying jumping on the riding train in 1967. His death assured his cult status in Poland furthering the parallels with James Dean. Unlike Dean, Cybulski was a very prolific actor, starring in over 40 movies in just several years.

This still of him with his trademark quiff + sunglasses + cigarette look comes from short art house production titled Iluzja (Illusion) from 1966. It is a study of behaviour of various young people in smoky jazz club.

   

 
I'll end with a rare Polish attempt at science fiction genre.It is a 1968 film directed by great Andrzej Wajda titled Przekladaniec. I'm not sure whether this word has English equivalent. In Wajda's English Wikipedia entry this film is listed as Roly-Poly, which doesn't seem accurate.. In any case, This 35-minute curio is a story of a racing driver who, after a series of accidents undergoes so many transplants, that he starts losing a sense of his own identity. Not really science fiction as such, more like futuristic nightmare. The film was based on a short story written by famous Polish philosopher/sci-fi writer Stanislaw Lem, who was known for such nightmarish and dystopian visions of the future. The film was shot in New York, but with Polish cast.

The costumes were clearly inspired by Space-Age designs of  Pierre Cardin and Andre Courreges. They were made by state-funded Polish couture house called Hoff.

One of the scenes features a bunch of dodgy hippies trying to flog their own organs outside transplant clinic.

This guy with two pairs of painted-on eyes  looks pretty creepy. I must try it one day just to see the look on people's faces...

Legwatch....

Famous Polish ballet dancer Gerard Wilk in cameo role of a sinister insurance agent.

I am gonna finish my two-post 'Polish Special' here.... The sixties in Poland were not a particularly happy period, which may account for the fact that apparently 'Retro' as a phenomenon never really caught on there among young people. Which is a shame because that era - as grim as it was - produced some great music, films, and culture in general which does not deserve to be forgotten.

 Poster for Andrej Wajda's film Polowanie Na Muchy (Hunting Flies) from 1969.