The Last of England

The most visually striking poem among Derek Jarman’s deeply personal works: For *The Last of England*, he uses his family’s home movies, documentary footage of ecological and industrial decline, and in-depth studies of two of his favorite actors (Spencer Lee and Tilda Swinton), as well as a poetic voice-over narration that quotes T.S. Eliot and Allen Ginsberg, among others. Shot on Super 8 and subsequently edited onto video, The Last of England presents itself as a somber meditation on the Thatcher era, yet also as a radiant collage that weaves black-and-white, sepia-toned, and color images into a captivating stream of consciousness through the striking use of music and sound effects. (C.H.)