Jubilee

Jubilee

Year: 1979

Runtime: 106 min

Director: Derek Jarman

DramaFantasyComedyMusic

A dedicated protector and a charming corgi find themselves on an extraordinary quest through London. Their mission: to retrieve the Queen’s crown, which has gone missing. The journey blends elements of drama, fantasy, comedy, and music, creating a heartwarming story about the power of friendship and the importance of determination in overcoming challenges.

Warning: spoilers below!

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Timeline – Jubilee (1979)

Trace every key event in Jubilee (1979) with our detailed, chronological timeline. Perfect for unpacking nonlinear stories, spotting hidden connections, and understanding how each scene builds toward the film’s climax. Whether you're revisiting or decoding for the first time, this timeline gives you the full picture.

1

Elizabeth I arrives in 1970s Britain

John Dee uses Ariel to transport Elizabeth I to present-day London. She emerges into the shattered Britain of the 1970s and begins to survey the decayed city. She witnesses the violent, anarchic mood of a society in flux.

Present day (1970s) London, 1970s Britain
2

Squat introduction to the nihilist circle

Elizabeth is introduced to a squat full of aimless young women, including Amyl Nitrate, Bod, Chaos, Crabs and Mad, with Sphinx and Angel the incestuous brothers nearby. Amyl delivers a provocative history lesson that valorises violent behavior and scandalous figures. The scene establishes the rebellious, anarchic tone of the group.

Squat
3

Bod murders the Queen

Bod, a sex-hating anarchist, strangles Queen Elizabeth II in a street robbery and steals her crown. The act epitomizes the group's contempt for established authority and the crown’s symbolic power. The crime sets in motion the film’s brutal power dynamics.

City street
4

Group hits a café; Kid and Bod collide with violence

The group moves to a cafe where Crabs meets a young musician named Kid. Mad tears up postcards while Bod attacks a waitress with tomato sauce. Bod also contacts impresario Borgia Ginz to start building opportunities.

Cafe
5

Amyl performs for Ginz; property schemes begin

At a meeting with Ginz, Amyl Nitrate performs a pastiche of Rule Britannia, shocking the impresario and signaling a fusion of performance and provocation. Ginz is shown expanding into property management, purchasing abandoned spaces to transform into venues.

Ginz's venue
6

Viv meets Max; new romantic ties form

Sphinx and Angel begin a relationship with Viv, a young former artist, and take her to meet Max, an ex-soldier. The interactions broaden the crew’s circle and deepen the film's themes of desire and power.

City venues
7

Kid signs with Ginz’s label

Crabs arranges for Kid to see Ginz, and Kid’s band is auditioned and signed under the name Scum. Sphinx and Angel press Kid to resist, but he laughs off their warnings.

Ginz's venue
8

Ginz buys iconic venues for his empire

Ginz expands his empire by purchasing Westminster Cathedral and Buckingham Palace, converting them into musical venues. The city’s sacred and royal spaces become commercial stages for a new subculture.

Westminster Cathedral / Buckingham Palace
9

Murder spree and a rock star's death

Mad, Bod and Crabs asphyxiate Happy Days, one of Crabs’s lovers, with red plastic sheeting. They then break into the flat of Lounge Lizard, an androgynous rock star, where Bod throttles him to death.

Happy Days' flat and Lounge Lizard's flat
10

Disco clash in Westminster Cathedral

A disco session in Westminster Cathedral triggers a fight between Kid and a policeman. Tensions escalate as the space becomes a stage for violence rather than worship.

Westminster Cathedral
11

TV debut and the blood-soaked aftermath

After Kid’s TV debut, Viv and the three males visit Max’s bingo hall, where violent police activity leads to the deaths of Sphinx, Angel, and Kid. The violence marks a turning point for the group and their relationship to authority.

TV studio; Max's bingo hall
12

Vengeful strikes against the police

The gang exacts revenge on the two policemen: one is castrated to death by Mad and Amyl, and the other is killed by Bod with a petrol bomb at his doorstep after an affair with Crabs. The act enforces a brutal retribution arc.

Policemen’s doorstep / city streets
13

Escape to Dorset and a recording contract

Ginz takes the four women to Dorset, presenting it as the only safe place to live, and signs a recording contract with the gang. The retreat signals a pivot toward professionalized, commodified rebellion.

Dorset
14

From anarchic modernity to a sixteenth-century dream

Dee, Ariel, and Elizabeth interpret the signs of anarchic modernity around them, then undertake a pastoral return to the sixteenth century at the film’s end. The trio seeks a nostalgic escape from the present through historical illusion.

On-screen: various settings; final return to sixteenth century

Last Updated: October 09, 2025 at 15:35

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Jubilee Summary

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Jubilee Summary

Characters, Settings & Themes in Jubilee

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Characters, Settings & Themes in Jubilee

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