Performance is a British film made in 1968 but not released until 1970. It was directed by Donald Cammell and Nicolas Roeg, and stars James Fox and Mick Jagger of The Rolling Stones in his film acting debut.
Critical reputation
On its release the film received mixed reviews. Most reviewers focused on the graphic sexual elements. One reviewer (Richard Schickel) described it as “the most completely worthless film I have seen since I began reviewing.”
Throughout the late 1970s and 1980s, Performance gradually acquired a cult following on the late night and repertory cinema circuits. By the 1990s the film had undergone a complete critical reappraisal. In 1995 Performance appeared at number 28 in a Time Outmagazine “all-time greats” poll of critics and directors. After Cammell’s death in 1996 the film’s reputation grew still further. It is now frequently cited as a classic of British cinema.
According to the website They Shoot Pictures, Don’t They, which collects ranking from various critics and best-of lists, Performance, as of January 2008 is ranked 195th in the 1,000 Greatest Films of All Time.
Cast
- James Fox as Chas
- Mick Jagger as Turner
- Anita Pallenberg as Pherber
- Michèle Breton as Lucy
- Ann Sidney as Dana
- John Bindon as Moody
- Stanley Meadows as Rosebloom
- Allan Cuthbertson as The Lawyer
- Anthony Morton as Dennis
- Johnny Shannon as Harry Flowers
- Anthony Valentine as Joey Maddocks
- Kenneth Colley as Tony Farrell
- John Sterland as The Chauffeur
- Laraine Wickens as Lorraine