Toward The Unknown Region: Malcolm Arnold

"Toward The Unknown Region: Malcolm Arnold - A Story Of Survival"

He was the last survivor of a generation of British composers who dominated the international musical landscape in the last half of the 20th century – Britten, Walton, Tippett…and Arnold.

Like them, he believed that music should be useful and to the living, so it is no accident that quite apart from his symphonies and choral music, he wrote some of the most popular film scores (over 120) ever composed – such as the Oscar-winning The Bridge on the River Kwai, The Belles of St Trinians, and The Inn of the Sixth Happiness, not to mention assisting in the brilliant orchestration for Jon Lord’s Concerto for Deep Purple & Orchestra, whose world premiere he also conducted. “The pursuit of happiness is not my aim”, he says. “I just want to lead a useful life, and occasionally write a piece of music. After all, music is a social art of communication among people… a gesture of friendship, the strongest there is”.

Tony Palmer’s two hour film does not shirk the darker side of Arnold’s life, however. Sir Malcolm’s frequent mental breakdowns, his massive insulin treatment, his electric-shock therapy, his irascible and unpredictable behaviour, his alcoholism, his attempted suicides, his despair – it is a gripping, absorbing but ultimately inspiring story, the triumph of a man of indomitable will against all the odds, the story of a great survivor.

Cast:
Malcolm Arnold
Richard Attenborough
Thomas Beecham
Jon Lord

Director: Tony Palmer
Runtime: 132 min
Genre: Documentary
Language: English
Production Year: 2004