After a series of traumatic childhood events, a psychosomatically deaf, dumb and blind boy becomes a master pinball player and the object of a religious cult.
Direction
Ken Russell's deranged maximalism — every frame assaults you
Costume
Elton's giant boots, Tina Turner's Acid Queen
Director
Ken Russell
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
The church scene with Eric Clapton was filmed at a real church; producers had to convince the vicar that depicting Marilyn Monroe as a saint wasn't blasphemous. It was.
Ann-Margret's Oscar-nominated bean bath was improvised after Russell saw a commercial with chocolate — she agreed to do it once, then he made her film it three times. She still calls it 'uncomfortable but worth it.'
GB
