This documentary focuses on the life and career of Michael White, the prolific producer of stage and screen, who just passed away last month, at the age of 80. What stood out for me in the film was White's entrepreneurial and risk taking personality, which enabled him to bring such plays as "Oh! Calcutta!" (1970) and "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" (1973) to London's West End theater district. Plays such as these defied the British censors, but proved to be immensely popular with the public, with the former running 7 years in London and 13 years in the U.S., and the latter also running many years on stage, before it became a classic movie.
As the doc opens we meet White making his annual visit to the Cannes Film Festival. Clearly he's struggling with aging and his health, and we learn later in the film that he has survived 3 strokes and an aortic rupture, where he was given only one in a hundred chance to live. Now despite his physical decline his spirit remains indomitable, and he continues to want to be among people by going to parties and get- togethers.
This may very well be attributed to the traumas in his childhood, even being mute for several months, when in adulthood he always desired to be with other people. In his heyday, he was apparently always surrounded by beautiful and intelligent women, and had quite the playboy reputation. However all-night partying, drugs, and naivety in his business dealings would eventually take a terrible toll on him.
All in all, this doc, directed by Gracie Otto, does indeed have its faults, as some of the reviewers have noted on the site, with too many interviewees and the very small lettering at the bottom of the screen showing who they were, forcing me to use zoom constantly which can get quite annoying. However, I still rated the movie fairly highly due to its historical significance and the fact that risk takers like Michael White are certainly a rare breed these days, giving way to multinational corporations, and thus diluting the product we get to choose from.
As the doc opens we meet White making his annual visit to the Cannes Film Festival. Clearly he's struggling with aging and his health, and we learn later in the film that he has survived 3 strokes and an aortic rupture, where he was given only one in a hundred chance to live. Now despite his physical decline his spirit remains indomitable, and he continues to want to be among people by going to parties and get- togethers.
This may very well be attributed to the traumas in his childhood, even being mute for several months, when in adulthood he always desired to be with other people. In his heyday, he was apparently always surrounded by beautiful and intelligent women, and had quite the playboy reputation. However all-night partying, drugs, and naivety in his business dealings would eventually take a terrible toll on him.
All in all, this doc, directed by Gracie Otto, does indeed have its faults, as some of the reviewers have noted on the site, with too many interviewees and the very small lettering at the bottom of the screen showing who they were, forcing me to use zoom constantly which can get quite annoying. However, I still rated the movie fairly highly due to its historical significance and the fact that risk takers like Michael White are certainly a rare breed these days, giving way to multinational corporations, and thus diluting the product we get to choose from.