“I used to get drunk on words”, a line by Marianne Faithfull that encapsulates the poetic intensity of the British singer and actress whose authentic artistry remains unmatched. Jane Pollard and Iain Forsyth’s Broken English offers a raw and aching portrait of the ‘60s pop icon through an innovative documentary form, starring Tilda Swinton and George MacKay.
The film situates Faithfull in a fantastical world of “The Ministry of Not Forgetting”, an institution managing memories with The Overseer (Swinton) as the enigmatic figurehead of the organisation. The fusion between the theatrical framework, interwoven with archival footage, draws the viewer into Faithfull’s life from the earliest stages of her career. Faithfull herself directs us through the many media-crafted incarnations of the singer, from the virtuous ingénue to scandal-entangled rock star girlfriend, Faithfull is able to shatter these imposed narratives and reclaim authorship of her own story.
George Mackay acts as the record keeper within the Ministry, approaching each memory with a quiet generosity, creating a welcoming space in which Faithfull’s charm and wit can flourish. Her reflections on the misogynistically fuelled press, as they reduced her to a “good girl gone wild”, reveals her resilience as an artist who endured decades of unjust judgement without losing the emotional complexity captured in her art. Drawn to the beauty within darkness and intensity, Faithfull channels these experiences into her work, guiding us through her gripping creation process of Sister Morphine and her poignant portrayal of Shakespeare’s Ophelia.
In Broken English, Pollard and Forsyth forge a new hybrid genre of documentary filmmaking, opening a new door for filmmakers that allows them to blend theatrical fiction with journalistic inquiry. By establishing “The Ministry of Not Forgetting”, the directors leave room for a potentially expansive series of films, capable of exploring cultural icons through the system of the Ministry
Marianne Faithfull as Ophelia and Nicol Williamson as Hamlet (1969)
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