Bloomsbury and the BFI have both brought out their own ‘Film Classics’ lists of books recently – 'Performance' is one of the few films covered by both. Here I'll cover the Bloomsbury book. It's presented in an A-Z format, and here the form dictates the content; while the BFI book gives a linear account of the film’s origins, making and eventual release, the Bloomsbury book has the space for lengthy digressions, such as entries on Jorge Luis Borges, Jean Genet and William Burroughs, as well as fuller accounts of the lives of cast members. Brown succeeds in tracking down and interviewing almost everyone involved in the making of the film (including the elusive Lucy, played by Michèle Breton), with the notable exception of Mick Jagger. While the digresssions are welcome - the quicksilver nature of a film like 'Performance' mean that any more reductive reading simply won't work - the format does seem awkward at times; some of the A-Z entries are a little forced, such as ‘In the Beginning …’ (under B) and ‘Did They? Or Didn’t They?’

But this is a minor quibble - people who like the film tend to become a little obsessive about it; it's a touchstone for so many weird synchronicities that it encourages an infinitude of readings. As such, and because of the apocryphal tales surrounding the making of the film, the fan wants to know as much as he or she can. This offers a welter of new information which will make it a must-have item for fans but still fascinating to anyone with more than a passing interest in 60s counter-culture, British cinema or any of the major players, from Nic Roeg to James Fox.

As for further information about the film: the BFI book gives the best linear account of its making and release, while containing better stills than those featured here; Iain Sinclair's book 'Rodinsky's Room' contains a chapter on David Litvinoff, 'dia
logue consultant' on the film; and the superb cult film magazine 'Eyeball' has run a number of features about it. Why someone doesn't write a book about Donald Cammell is beyond me - perhaps I should do it myself ...