Jubilee – 1978 | 100 mins | Drama | Colour

Plot Synopsis

Derek Jarman‘s eulogy to punk is very much a product of the art school spirit of the time: incredibly pretentious and never dull. Elizabeth I gets transported by the angel Ariel to a late-70s Britain of anarchy and violence, where a gang of girl punks led by the glamorous Amyl Nitrate (Jordan) live in a squat, make vague attempts at raping Adam Ant, and swear at each other. Elizabeth is shocked by this vision of decay, and can you really blame her when the likes of Toyah Wilcox are fronting bands and bolshy punk Bod’s idea of a statement of discontent is squeezing tomato ketchup into the face of the long-suffering local cafe waitress? As a reflection on the breakdown of British society it’s awful, but as documentation of an exciting time it’s great.