Mick Brown on Performance - Mick Brown

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 ...  Read the complete review