One man, two wives, and Jesus resurrecting in a Berkshire churchyard — British scandal at its finest.
The controversial English artist Stanley Spencer scandalised the art world when he painted the Resurrection taking place in the churchyard of Cookham, his home village by the River Thames; and further scandalised the village when he decided that to nourish his imagination he needed two wives.
Acting
Anton Lesser captures Spencer's peculiar intensity without mockery.
Production
Paintings recreated with obsessive detail; Cookham becomes sacred stage.
Director
Anna Benson Gyles
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Spencer's actual Cookham Resurrection paintings now hang in Tate Britain; the village eventually forgave him and now runs walking tours.
The real Patricia Preece never divorced her actual husband, making Spencer's second marriage bigamous and legally void — a detail the film softens.
GB
