Dance of the Seven Veils (1970)

A comic strip in 7 episodes on the life of Richard Strauss 1864-1949

Russell’s composer biopics were usually labours of love. This was the opposite: he regarded Strauss’s music as 'bombastic, sham and hollow', and despised the composer for claiming to be apolitical while cosying up to the Nazi regime. Strauss is depicted in a variety of grotesquely caricatured situations: attacked by nuns after adopting Nietzsche’s philosophy, duels with jealous husbands, literally batters his critics into submission with his music, and glorifies the women in his life and fantasies.

• Release Date: 1970-02-15
• Runtime: 0h 59min
• Production Company: BBC
• Production Country: United Kingdom
• Director: Ken Russell