Homoeroticism in D. H. Lawrence's "Women in Love" and "The Rainbow" and Ken Russell's film adaptations

D. H. Lawrence's companion novels, The Rainbow and Women in Love, both depict homosexual relationships. Lawrence's portrayal of alternative sexual lifestyles, while sometimes negative, still offers the possibility of bisexuality, an option the author himself explored in his personal life as a reaction against repressive Victorian attitudes. Ken Russell, on the other hand, in adapting these novels to film, offers a more traditional, polarized view of homo- and heterosexuality. Though his first adaptation is more open-minded, having been filmed in the liberated 1960s, his second film is more conservative, since it is a product of the homophobic 1980s. As is the case with Lawrence, Russell's personal life, especially his religion, holds a great deal of influence over his artistic work. Therefore, this analysis argues the close link between biography and artistry, especially when a controversial subject like homosexuality is involved.