Women in Love (1969) Dir. Ken Russell

It could be argued that Ken Russell found his perfect combination of themes with his adaptation of D. H. Lawrence’s Women in Love, initially released in 1969 and starring Oliver Reed, Alan Bates, Glenda Jackson and Jennie Linden.

When you look at Russell’s early film work, including the feature length pieces for the BBC and his documentaries, he showed an affinity for high art. His previous features included biopics on Dante Gabriel Rossetti, Claude Debussy and Henri Rousseau, so approaching one of the greatest novels from one of the Midlands’ most famous literary figures seemed like a natural fit.

Primarily shot around Derbyshire, the film looks stunning, making the most of the scenic backdrops and manor houses that are dotted throughout the county. And Russell, working with cinematographer Billy Williams, captures a changing Britain. Occurring in the wake of World War 1, Women in Love sees a cultural shift, with a new middle class coming through; greater mechanisation simultaneously making working class jobs such as mining safer, while also taking roles from some; and values shifting.

Jackson and Linden play Gudrun and Ursula Brangwen, an artist and schoolteacher respectively, who are part of this new class of Briton, who find themselves in relationships with the upper-class Gerald Crich (Reed) and Rupert Birkin (Alan Bates). The performances are incredible. Reed plays the repressed Crich with the same reserved, pent-up rage that he would perfect over his career, matched wonderfully with the self-assured Jackson.

In contrast, Bates is flighty and idealistic as Birkin, and threatens to steal the film at multiple points. He’s funny and thoughtful, pushing against the traditional values and possessing a deep, passionate love for not only his wife but for Crich.

And here is the crux of the film. Perfectly timed with the sexual revolution that was occurring in America and the UK at the time, the film questions traditional masculinity and the things we repress to fit into a certain mould. It also questions our idea of relationships, and whether everyone is built for monogamy.

It's an incredible achievement, funny and heartwarming at times, then heartbreaking. The script from Larry Kramer cuts much of the verbose style of Lawrence to cut to the core of the novel, with every actor putting their all into the roles.

The BFI have done an incredible job with this release, bringing it up to a stunning 4K resolution without losing some of that tactile grain. It looks and sounds amazing. Then there’s a full suite of extras, including Russell’s own documentary about his career and interviews with the key cast members. There’s also a series of essays within the booklet, including a wonderful piece by Michael Brooke, which includes some funny anecdotes about how censors across the world handled that famous wrestling scene.

★★★★½

4.5 / 5

Matthew Tilt

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Women in Love 4K restoration Blu-ray releases 14 July 2025. Special features include:

• Human Relations: Alexander Verney-Elliott Discusses Women in Love: Newly recorded interview (17 mins, 2025)
• A British Picture: Portrait of an Enfant Terrible: Ken Russell documentary (49 mins, 1989)
• ATV Today (1968): Interviews on the set (10 mins)
• Billy Williams OBE BSC in conversation with Phil Méheux BSC (49 mins, 2015)
• Audio commentary with Ken Russell
• Audio commentary with Larry Kramer
• Second Best (1972): Alan Bates film based on D H Lawrence's short story (27 mins)
• The Guardian Lecture: Glenda Jackson (77 mins, audio only, 1982)
• The Pacemakers: Glenda Jackson: Documentary profile (14 mins, 1971)
• Stills and collections gallery
• Original theatrical trailer
• Optional English SDH subtitles
• Illustrated booklet (first pressing only)