O Lucky Man!

2023-01-28T01:20:50Z

109.144.210.155: Cleaned up runtime description

{{short description|1973 British film by Lindsay Anderson}}
{{about|the 1973 film|the 2009 film|O Lucky Man! (2009 film)}}
{{Use British English|date=October 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2013}}
{{Infobox film
| name = O Lucky Man!
| image = O Lucky Man!.jpg
| image_size =
| alt =
| caption =
| director = [[Lindsay Anderson]]
| producer = Lindsay Anderson [[Michael Medwin]]
| screenplay = [[David Sherwin]]
| story = [[Malcolm McDowell]]
| starring = Malcolm McDowell [[Ralph Richardson]] [[Rachel Roberts (actress)|Rachel Roberts]] [[Arthur Lowe]] [[Helen Mirren]] [[Dandy Nichols]] [[Mona Washbourne]]
| music = [[Alan Price]]
| cinematography = [[Miroslav Ondříček]]
| editing = David Gladwell
| distributor = [[Warner Bros. Pictures|Warner Bros.]]
| released = {{Film date|df=y|1973|06|20}}
| runtime = 184 minutes<ref>{{cite web|title=''O LUCKY MAN'' (X)|url=http://www.bbfc.co.uk/releases/o-lucky-man-1970-2|work=[[British Board of Film Classification]]|date=1973-04-25|access-date=2013-06-04}}</ref>
| country = United Kingdom
| language = English
}}

'''''O Lucky Man!''''' is a 1973 British [[comedy-drama]] [[fantasy film]] directed by [[Lindsay Anderson]], and starring [[Malcolm McDowell]] as [[Mick Travis trilogy|Mick Travis]], whom McDowell had first played as a disaffected [[Public school (UK)|public schoolboy]] in his first film performance in Anderson's film ''[[if....]]'' (1968). The film was entered into the [[1973 Cannes Film Festival]].<ref name="festival-cannes.com">{{cite web |url=http://www.festival-cannes.com/en/archives/ficheFilm/id/2292/year/1973.html |title=Festival de Cannes: O Lucky Man! |access-date=2009-04-19|work=festival-cannes.com}}</ref> 

==Plot==
The film opens with a short fragment outside the plot. Grainy, black-and-white, and silent, a title "Once Upon a Time" leads to peasant labourers in an unnamed country picking [[coffee beans]] while armed foremen push rudely between them. One worker (McDowell with black hair and moustache) pockets a few beans ("Coffee for the Breakfast Table") but is seen by a foreman. He is next seen before a fat Caucasian [[magistrate]] who slobbers as he removes his cigar only to say "Guilty." The foreman draws his [[machete]] and lays it across the unfortunate labourer's wrists, bound to a wooden block, revealing that he is to lose his hands for the theft of a few beans. The machete rises, falls, and we see McDowell draw back in a silent scream. The scene blacks out, the word NOW appears onscreen and expands quickly to fill it.

During his journey, Travis learns the lesson, reinforced by numerous songs in the soundtrack by [[Alan Price]], that he must abandon his principles in order to succeed, but unlike the other characters he meets he must retain a detached idealism that will allow him to distance himself from the evils of the world. Initially Travis is motivated by money and material wealth. He progresses from coffee salesman (working for Imperial Coffee in the [[North East of England]] and [[Scotland]]) to a victim of torture in a government installation and a medical research subject, under the supervision of Dr. Millar.

In parallel with Travis's experiences, the film shows 1960s Britain retreating from its imperial past, but managing to retain some influence in the world by means of corrupt dealings with foreign dictators. After finding out his girlfriend is the daughter of Sir James Burgess, an evil industrialist, he is appointed Burgess' personal assistant. With Dr. Munda, the dictator of Zingara, a brutal police state which nevertheless manages to be a playground for wealthy people from the developed world, Burgess sells the regime a chemical called PL45 'Honey' for spraying on rebel areas (the effects resemble those of [[napalm]]). Burgess connives at having Travis found guilty of fraud, and he is imprisoned for five years.

The film then cuts to five years on, when Travis has finished his sentence, become a model prisoner, and converted to [[humanism]]. He is quickly faced with a bewildering series of assaults upon his new-found idealism, culminating in a scene in which he is attacked by [[down-and-out]]s whom he has been trying to help.

The final scene of the film shows him becoming involved in a casting call for a film, with [[Lindsay Anderson]] himself playing the director of the film. He is given various props to handle, including a stack of schoolbooks and a [[Bren light machine gun|machine gun]]. When asked to smile Mick continually asks why. The director slaps Travis with his script book after he fails to understand what is being asked of him. After a cut to black (a device used throughout the film) a slow look of understanding crosses Mick's face. The scene then cuts to a party with dancing which includes all of the cast celebrating.

==Cast==
Many of the actors play several roles.
{{div col}}
* [[Malcolm McDowell]] as [[Mick Travis|Michael Arnold "Mick" Travis]] / Plantation thief
* [[Ralph Richardson]] as Monty / Sir James Burgess
* [[Rachel Roberts (actress)|Rachel Roberts]] as Gloria Rowe / Madame Paillard / Mrs. Richards
* [[Arthur Lowe]] as Mr. Duff / Charlie Johnson / Dr. Munda
* [[Helen Mirren]] as Patricia / casting call receptionist
* [[Graham Crowden]] as Dr. Millar / Professor Stewart / Meth drinker
* [[Dandy Nichols]] as Tea lady in military installation
* [[Peter Jeffrey]] as Factory chairman / Prison governor
* [[Mona Washbourne]] as Neighbour / Usher / Sister Hallett
* [[Philip Stone]] as Jenkins / Interrogator / Salvation Army major
*[[Mary MacLeod (actress)|Mary MacLeod]] as Mrs. Ball / Salvationist / Vicar's wife
* [[Wallas Eaton]] as John Stone (Coffee Factory) / Col. Steiger / Prison warder / Meths drinker / Film executive
* [[Warren Clarke]] as MC at Wakefield Club / Warner / Male nurse
* [[Bill Owen (actor)|Bill Owen]] as Superintendent Barlow / Inspector Carding
* [[Michael Medwin]] as Army captain / Power station technician / Duke of Belminster
* [[Vivian Pickles]] as Good lady
* [[Geoffrey Palmer (actor)|Geoffrey Palmer]] as Examination doctor / Basil Keyes
* [[Christine Noonan]] as Imperial Coffee assembly line worker / Mavis at Wakefield Club
* [[Geoffrey Chater]] as Bishop / Vicar
* [[Anthony Nicholls (actor)|Anthony Nicholls]] as General / Judge
* [[James Bolam]] as Attenborough / Examination Doctor
* [[Brian Glover]] as Plantation foreman / Bassett (Power Station Guard)
* [[Brian Pettifer]] as Biles
* [[Edward Judd]] as Oswald
* [[Alan Price]] as himself
* [[Jeremy Bulloch]] as Crash victim / Experimental patient / Sign guy
* [[Ben Aris]] as Mr. MacIntyre / Dr. Hyder / Flight Lt. Wallace
* [[Margot Bennett (actress)|Margot Bennett]] as Coffee picker
* [[Anna Dawson]] as Becky
* [[Lindsay Anderson]] (''uncredited'') as Film director
{{div col end}}

==Production==
The film originally began as a script written by McDowell about his experiences as a coffee salesman in his late teens and early 20s. Anderson was unhappy with this treatment, and [[David Sherwin]] worked on the script. Sherwin though was undergoing personal problems at the time, which necessitated Anderson writing a few scenes himself, a skill he did not feel he had. Anderson found working with Czech cinematographer [[Miroslav Ondříček]] much less rewarding than he had on ''if....''. He also doubted his own skills as a director during the film's making, and felt that the film had insufficient preparation. The role of Patricia was recast during production. Originally, [[Fiona Lewis]], best known for appearing in several [[horror film]]s around this time, played the role.<ref>The preceding paragraph is drawn from Paul Sutton (ed) ''Lindsay Anderson: The Diaries'', 2004, London: Methuen, p256-306</ref>

''[[Britannia Hospital]]'' (1982) completes the trilogy of films featuring Mick Travis,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.allmovie.com/cg/avg.dll?p=avg&sql=1:35868 |title= allmovie.com O Lucky Man! overview |access-date=2007-02-09 }}</ref> which also sees the return of Dr. Millar.

==Soundtrack==
{{album ratings
|rev2 = ''[[Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies|Christgau's Record Guide]]''
|rev2Score = B−<ref name="CG">{{cite book|last=Christgau|first=Robert|author-link=Robert Christgau|year=1981|title=[[Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies]]|publisher=[[Ticknor & Fields]]|isbn=089919026X|chapter=Consumer Guide '70s: P|chapter-url=https://www.robertchristgau.com/get_chap.php?k=P&bk=70|access-date=March 10, 2019|via=robertchristgau.com}}</ref>
}}
[[Alan Price]] said [[Lindsay Anderson]] wanted to make a documentary about Price and his band touring England, but the cost of licensing songs they performed was too high. As Sherwin and McDowell developed the script, Anderson decided Price should write the score and sent him the script, indicating where he would like songs to appear. Price wrote nearly all the songs before filming started.<ref>{{cite video |people=Price, Alan (score) |date=2007-10-30 |title=O Lucky Man! |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0070464/ |medium=DVD audio commentary track |publisher=Warner Bros. |location=Burbank, CA }}</ref> Anderson conceived of Price's role as a kind of [[Greek Chorus]], both commenting on and finally appearing as part of the action.

The soundtrack was released as a vinyl album, by [[Warner Bros. Records]], in 1973.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.discogs.com/Alan-Price-O-Lucky-Man-The-Original-Soundtrack/release/2299721|title=Alan Price - O Lucky Man! - The Original Soundtrack |publisher=discogs.com |access-date=24 April 2017}}</ref> In the U.S., it entered the [[Billboard 200|Top LPs & Tape]] chart on August 11, 1973, and spent 14 weeks on the chart, peaking at no. 117.<ref>{{cite book|last= Whitburn|first= Joel|date= 1996|title= Top Pop Albums 1955-1996|publisher= Record Research Inc.|page= [https://archive.org/details/joelwhitburnstopp00whit/page/623 623]|isbn= 0-89820-117-9|url-access= registration|url= https://archive.org/details/joelwhitburnstopp00whit/page/623}}</ref>

The score won the 1974 [[BAFTA Award for Best Film Music]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://awards.bafta.org/award/1974/film/anthony-asquith-memorial-award|title = 1974 Film Anthony Asquith Memorial Award | BAFTA Awards}}</ref>

Reviewing for ''[[Creem]]'' in 1973, [[Robert Christgau]] said, "How does an acerbic, good-humored music journeyman like Price (find: ''This Price is Right'', on [[Parrot Records|Parrot]]) fall in with a pompous, overfed con man like Lindsay Anderson? By playing the Acerbic, Good-Humoured Music Journeyman Symbol in a pompous, overfed movie. Two or three deft political songs do not redeem an LP that runs under 25 minutes despite [[filler (music)|filler]]. It figures—the movie is an hour (or three hours) too long."<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Christgau|first=Robert|author-link=Robert Christgau|date=November 1973|url=https://www.robertchristgau.com/xg/cg/crm7311.php|title=The Christgau Consumer Guide|magazine=[[Creem]]|access-date=3 September 2018}}</ref>

===Track listing===
# "O Lucky Man!"
# "Poor People"
# "Sell Sell"
# "Pastoral"
# "Arrival"
# "Look Over Your Shoulder"
# "Justice"
# "My Home Town"
# "Changes"
# "O Lucky Man!"

The Song O Lucky Man has lyrics that mirror the fable from the Pasolini’s film Uccellacci e uccellini - The Hawk and the Sparrows. “[https://palamidessi.blog/2009/09/22/pasolinis-own-father-son-myth-on-film-uccellacci-e-uccellini/ Takers and fakers and talkers won’t tell you. Teachers and preachers will just buy and sell you. When no one can tempt you with heaven or hell- You’ll be a lucky man!” says the bird.]

The song "Changes" (based on the tune to "[[What a Friend We Have in Jesus]]") was later a chart hit for Price in April 1988 when it was used in a [[Changes (advertisement)|television advertisement of the same name]] for [[Volkswagen Golf]] cars in 1987, starring model [[Paula Hamilton]]. The song "Sell Sell" was recorded by [[Widespread Panic]] for their twelfth studio album ''[[Street Dogs (Widespread Panic album)|Street Dogs]]'' and has been performed by the band on several occasions beginning on 19 February 2012 in [[Aspen, Colorado]] for the final night of their Wood Tour.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://everydaycompanion.com/played/SELL.asp|title=Everyday Companion Online - Sell Sell|publisher=everydaycompanion.com|access-date=24 April 2017}}</ref>

===Charts===
{|class="wikitable
|-
!scope="col"| Chart (1973/74)
!Peak position
|-
|Australia ([[Kent Music Report]])<ref name=aus>{{cite book|last=Kent|first=David|author-link=David Kent (historian)|title=Australian Chart Book 1970–1992|edition=illustrated|publisher=Australian Chart Book|location=St Ives, N.S.W.|year=1993|isbn=0-646-11917-6|page=238}}</ref>
| style="text-align:center;"| 34
|-
|United States ([[Billboard 200]])
| style="text-align:center;"| 117
|}

==Reception==
On [[Rotten Tomatoes]] 80% of reviews from 20 critics reviews were positive with an average rating of 7.7 out of 10.<ref>{{Cite web | url= http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/o_lucky_man/ |title=O Lucky Man |work= RottenTomatoes.com }}</ref>

[[Vincent Canby]] of ''[[The New York Times]]'' rated it 2 out of 4 and wrote: "Staying with it through its almost three-hour running time becomes increasingly nerve-racking, like watching superimposed images that never synchronize. The result does not match the ambition of the intention. The wit is too small, too perfunctory, for the grand plan of the film and the quality of the production itself."<ref>{{Cite news | url= https://www.nytimes.com/1973/06/14/archives/screen-o-lucky-manenglish-comedy-tells-of-a-classic-innocent-the.html |title="O Lucky Man! :English Comedy Tells of a Classic Innocent," |author= [[Vincent Canby]] |newspaper= [[The New York Times]] |date=14 June 1973 }}</ref>

==Versions and home media==
A number of different edits exist, with some American prints removing around twenty minutes including the [[working class]] parody suicide, just before the conclusion of the film. Even both British [[VHS]] releases delete at least one scene present in the BBC broadcast of the film (Travis testing his status in the home of his industrialist patron) in the early eighties. <ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=O LUCKY MAN! |url=https://rjbuffalo.com/oluckyman.html |access-date=2023-01-28 |website=rjbuffalo.com}}</ref>The original editor's cut was 183 minutes, but the distributor demanded a shorter version. The cinema release was 168 minutes, achieved by accidently missing "roll 16" during an editing session.<ref name=":0" />

A 2-disc special edition [[DVD region code#1|Region 1]] [[DVD]], including commentary by Malcolm McDowell, David Sherwin and Alan Price, and the feature-length documentary ''O Lucky Malcolm!'', was released 30 October 2007.{{citation needed|date=January 2019}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* {{IMDb title| 0070464 }}
* {{Rotten Tomatoes| o_lucky_man }}
* {{BritMovie title| O-Lucky-Man_1973 }}
* [http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film/articles/o_lucky_man.htm Analysis of ''O Lucky Man!''] by Pete Hoskin

{{Mick Travis}}
{{Lindsay Anderson}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:O Lucky Man}}
[[Category:1973 films]]
[[Category:1970s black comedy films]]
[[Category:1970s fantasy comedy-drama films]]
[[Category:British black comedy films]]
[[Category:British fantasy comedy-drama films]]
[[Category:British independent films]]
[[Category:British satirical films]]
[[Category:British sequel films]]
[[Category:Films directed by Lindsay Anderson]]
[[Category:Films set in England]]
[[Category:Films shot in England]]
[[Category:Films partially in color]]
[[Category:1970s satirical films]]
[[Category:1973 independent films]]
[[Category:1970s English-language films]]
[[Category:1970s British films]]

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O Lucky Man!