Marianne Faithfull's Legacy Explored in "Broken English" Documentary

The documentary \"Broken English\" by Iain Forsyth and Jane Pollard delivers a compelling, unconventional tribute to the legendary British singer-songwriter Marianne Faithfull. Steering clear of standard biographical formats, the film ingeniously intertwines authentic archival footage and deeply candid interviews with Faithfull herself, alongside unique, stylized fictional segments. This approach crafts a multifaceted portrait of an artist whose voice, initially pure and ethereal, matured into a distinct, gravelly instrument reflecting a life lived with raw intensity. The documentary emphasizes Faithfull's resilience in the face of public scrutiny and personal challenges, celebrating her enduring spirit and profound impact on music and culture.

Keith Richards once dismissed \"As Tears Go By,\" a song he co-wrote with Mick Jagger, as trivial. Yet, through Marianne Faithfull's rendition at just seventeen, its inherent tenderness was transformed into a poignant expression of sorrow. Her singular vocal delivery had a remarkable ability to infuse ordinary words with profound depth, a quality that persisted from her youthful, clear tones to the textured, husky timbre of her later years. This transformative power of her voice is central to \"Broken English,\" Forsyth and Pollard's devoted cinematic homage to the British music luminary. The film features Faithfull herself, speaking with remarkable candor and, in her final months, delivering a breathtaking musical performance.

For those familiar with Forsyth and Pollard's distinctive filmmaking style, as seen in works like \"20,000 Days on Earth\" and \"The Extraordinary Miss Flower,\" \"Broken English\" is far from a conventional music documentary. Following an initial sequence of traditional newsreel clips tracing Faithfull's trajectory from a rising folk singer in the 1960s to her later resurgence, the film quickly establishes its unconventional narrative. Tilda Swinton makes an appearance as the austere director of the fictional Ministry of Not Forgetting, a shadowy, analog-filled institution that designates Faithfull as its inaugural research subject. This fantastical framework sets the stage for a unique exploration of memory and legacy.

Within this inventive structure, Tilda Swinton's character articulates the film's core ambition: to unearth memories and uncover resonance. This sentiment encapsulates the essence of every documentarian's quest through historical records to shape their narrative. She instructs her zealous assistant, portrayed by George MacKay, who is preparing to engage Faithfull in a dialogue about her career and life. This fabricated scenario surprisingly evolves into a captivating interview between two celebrated figures, marked by an immediate and palpable connection between the young actor and the seasoned musician. MacKay's portrayal of a compassionate interviewer and attentive listener elicits deeply personal and often humorous reflections from Faithfull, which form the heart of the documentary.

Faithfull recounts a past where interviews were rarely kind. The documentary skillfully integrates archival footage highlighting the pervasive misogyny she faced throughout her career. She wryly critiques the saccharine promotional material from her 1965 debut album, specifically a line about her \"angel-blonde hair swirling in the wind,\" which she dismisses as \"bullshit.\" Far more critical were the sensationalist tabloid narratives that portrayed her as merely a groupie entangled with the Rolling Stones, devoid of talent or autonomy. A particularly powerful montage, expertly edited by Luke Clayton Thompson, showcases a series of predominantly male talk show hosts aggressively probing Faithfull about her relationships and drug use. Her reaction to these past interrogations is one of defiant nonchalance: \"Despite all these stupid people and their stupid questions, I've actually had rather a lovely life, so fuck 'em.\"

Despite her occasional defiance, Faithfull also displays a remarkable capacity for self-criticism, openly discussing her mistakes and long struggle with addiction, which she movingly describes as \"taking all your rage out on yourself.\" When MacKay suggests that her experiences would have shattered most individuals, she modestly refrains from self-aggrandizement, responding, \"Well, maybe it did break me.\" While her honesty as an interviewee is undeniably compelling, some of the film's more stylized elements, such as a feminist panel discussion about Faithfull's legacy, occasionally feel less impactful. This segment, moderated by British DJ Edith Bowman and filmmaker Sophie Fiennes, features participants like Sienna Guillory and Natasha Khan, offering heartfelt tributes that, while deserved, lack critical depth. Similarly, the initial Kafkaesque atmosphere of the Ministry of Not Forgetting framework ultimately serves as a somewhat superficial formal device, not fully integrating with the film's deeper thematic or stylistic goals.

What truly endures from \"Broken English,\" beyond its playful and ambitious narrative framework, are the fundamental elements that define a compelling music documentary: Faithfull's incisive presence as an interviewee and a series of powerful musical performances, both historical and contemporary. The film showcases an exceptional ensemble of musicians, including the composers Rob Ellis and Warren Ellis, who deliver superb new interpretations of Faithfull's iconic songs. Beth Orton's rendition of \"As Tears Go By\" is exquisitely poignant, while Courtney Love offers a fiercely compelling and abrasive take on \"Times Square.\" However, the film's emotional zenith arrives with Faithfull's own culminating and profoundly moving performance of \"Misunderstanding,\" a track from her 2018 album \"Negative Capability.\" Accompanied by Nick Cave and Warren Ellis, her voice navigates the lyrics, \"Mistakes are worthless/Misunderstanding's worse/A game I will not play, a curse,\" with a blend of tender intimacy and raw vulnerability. Faithfull passed away in January of this year, while the film was still in production, making this performance, unintended as her final recording, profoundly significant. Recognizing its accidental gravity, Forsyth and Pollard wisely conclude the film here, eschewing any additional fictional embellishments. In \"Broken English,\" Faithfull is given not only the final word but also the profound resonance of her enduring silence.