Joanna Review

• 18th Apr 2011

Joanna tells the story of a young girl coming to the capital to experience the modern progressive life of swinging London.  She goes from bed to bed, befriends the debonair Lord Peter Sanderson (Donald Sutherland) before jetting off to Morocco for a scenic holiday. Joanna (Geneviève Waïte) indulges her love of daydreaming before looking to settle down with Gordon (Calvin Lockheart) from Sierra Leone. Once settled, things become a little more complicated as pregnancy and violence enter her world.

Made in 1968, Joanna is a photograph of a moment when London had become the undoubted focus of the world both financially and creatively. The opening title sequence itself perfectly captures this new generation who have broken the shackles of 50s conservatism. The film begins in black and white and we see people milling around a train station looking less than enthusiastic. Signs spell out slogans such as ‘Someone Must Lead’ pointing to a new mentality. As the train arrives on the platform the chrome bursts into stunning Technicolor as the energy filled Joanna steps off the train into a whole new world.  This sequence brings to mind the great French New wave classic Zazie Dans Le Metro as the young Zazie arrives at the then centre of the world, 1960 Paris.

Joanna stands as a testament to a city and culture that genuinely felt anything was possible. Bringing together the likes of Blow Up, Billy Liar and Performance, Joanna is a film from the height of Post British New Wave.  The kitchen sink dramas of the late 50s and early 60s have been replaced with artistically indulgent fantasies that move the action from the deprived north to the affluent south. Billed on release as a female Alfie there are similarities. Her circumstances, like those of Alfie, become more complicated as responsibilities begin to creep in. The lush Technicolor is outstanding giving the film a comic book look that recalls the ultra-camp Modesty Blaise made two years previously.

Joanna is a time capsule of wonderment that will undoubtedly thrill anyone with a passion for British film history or the swinging 60s in general. The remarkable aspect of Joanna is that it resembles nothing of what followed, the British moved away from fantasy, back to Oscar chasing costume dramas and the biopic. Jonathan Romney once stated that future audiences would require an instruction booklet to help them watch Godard movies from the 60s; Joanna will most probably require the same. Beyond the social statement that chimes with the time, it’s the actual narrative that challenges the most. Utilizing dream sequences, jump cuts, a total lack of continuity and absurdist dialogue the audience is challenged at every turn.

Joanna isn’t a masterpiece by any stretch but it represents a moment in British film-making when anything may have been possible. The last golden age of British film exists from 1955–1970 as the likes of Ealing, Hammer and the new wave created worldwide sensations. British film and society in general simply doesn’t function in the way that is captured in Joanna anymore. Special mention must be given to Donald Sutherland as the ridiculous Lord Peter Sanderson who delivers a performance of such ridiculousness that it will stay with you for a very long time.

Aled Jones