WHEN you think of Ken Russell, the word “controversial” probably springs to mind.

From directing his most infamous scene – nude wrestling between Oliver Reed and Alan Bates in Women In Love, in 1969 – to walking out of the Celebrity Big Brother house in 2007 following a row with Jade Goody, he often seemed to be in the limelight for creating a spectacle or being shocking.

He was known as British cinema’s “enfant terrible” and had a reputation for sometimes being difficult to work with.

But beyond bringing censors out in a cold sweat, what was his contribution to British cinema and what will be his lasting legacy?

Film critic and friend of Ken Russell, Mark Kermode, said: “Ken Russell was, for my money, one of the greatest – if not the greatest – British directors of the post-war period. He was one of those filmmakers who filled you with amazement at the potential of cinema.”

The film critic, who lives in the New Forest, added that the sense of controversy often overshadowed the value of Russell’s work.

While Women in Love might be best known for “that” scene, John Barlow, senior lecturer in film and television at Solent University, points out that in it Russell brought a number of interesting actors to the screen.

“He really helped develop the careers of Oliver Reed, Glenda Jackson and Alan Bates,” he said.

Professor Tim Bergfelder, head of film studies at the University of Southampton agrees, noting that the director also coaxed fascinating performances out of pop stars such as Roger Daltrey and Elton John in Tommy and Lisztomania.

Many experts note that Russell had a unique visual style.

John Barlow said: “Ken Russell was a highly visual filmmaker. His impact was very important for British cinema in getting people away from script-led films, where the narrative was spoken, allowing the viewer to experience what the story was about and be excited by the visual imagery.”

Dr Michael Hammond, senior lecturer at the University of Southampton and a friend of Russell, says that the director was incredibly innovative in bringing together music and visual imagery – not only in films like Tommy but also in his early TV documentaries about composers “He has to be seen as the father of the pop video because the way he was able to marry the cinematic image with sound was very innovative.”

Everyone from Glenda Jackson and Ben Kingsley to Michael Winner and Martin Scorsese have spoken this week about how great Russell’s contribution to cinema was and what a loss to it his death is. Scorsese described Russell as “fearless”.

Tim Bergfelder says that, in many ways, Russell was a trailblazer for later directors. “He belonged to a generation of film-makers who pushed the boundaries of what was acceptable to show on screen.

“That’s why he got into trouble so frequently – although much of what was considered shocking in his heyday has become perfectly normal nowadays.

“But those norms wouldn’t have been possible without someone like Ken Russell.”

Michael Hammond says that a further aspect of Russell’s legacy is in developing the fantasy aspect of both British and global cinema.

“He was a very important part of the fantasy aspect of cinema that Britain is known for,” he said.

He added that his influence can be seen on the work of directors such as Baz Luhrman and Tim Burton.

“Their work is in the tradition that Ken started. Films like Baz Luhrman’s Romeo + Juliet and Moulin Rouge are very impressionistic, they use music, rapid cutting and fantastical scenarios as well as liberal interpretations of their source material – that’s very Ken,” he said.

As well as influencing cinema through his films, in later life Russell had a more direct approach, working with aspiring young film-makers at both the University of Southampton and Solent University as a guest lecturer, visiting fellow and workshop leader.

Tim Bergfelder said of a workshop that the director gave: “It’s difficult to know how many future film-makers he inspired on that day alone, but it is without doubt that his originality leaves a lasting legacy and that his passing marks a huge loss in today’s film culture.”