David Bowie had a memorable, otherworldly presence on screen. He was a believable strung out alien in The Man Who Fell to Earth, a seductive strung out vampire in The Hunger, a dance-happy goblin king in Labyrinth, a proper British soldier in Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence, and an oddball FBI agent in Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me. Before hitting it big as a musician with many modes and personae, Bowie had a background in mime. It paid off.
Some of that mime training pops up here in the 1969 short film The Image, Bowie’s first and little-seen on-screen role. Written and directed by Michael Armstrong and co-starring Michael Byrne, the film received a certified “X” rating by the British censors because of its violent content.
My, how far violence has come. Give it a watch below.
A little bit Night of the Living Dead, and a little bit Carnival of Souls.
You know, this short film also kind of reminds me of the music video for “Look Back in Anger” from the 1979 album Lodger. It’s not a shot-for-shot remake or anything, but there’s a similar sense of squalor and violence.
Okay, okay, both have a painting and that’s the main thing.
You can check out the “Look Back in Anger” music video below.
