Documentary showing a Britain united in the war effort through a montage of various scenes of daily life. Also see Heart of Britain
Crown Copyright
H. Jennings/S. McAllister
Ian Dalrymple
H. Jennings/S. McAllister
H. E. Fowle
Ken Cameron
COMMENTFor the surrealist Humphrey Jennings, everyday images of life were not so much documented as dissected and reassembled. He understood the power of juxtaposition in montage and working with his editor Stewart McAllister, created this classic of wartime propaganda.
The power of the film is almost entirely in its editing. Cleverly, Jennings and McAllister made the sounds of daily wartime life the central theme of the film. This liberated the narrative from the constraints of conventional storytelling and although it could have simply ended up as a list of scenes, their contrapuntal skill gave the documentary a poignant whispering heroism that made the British appear stoical and dignified as they faced the danger of totalitarianism. Despite the rather clumsy opening sequence telling the audience how to view this innovative documentary, it remains one of the most celebrated - and poetic - films of British spirit during the Second World War.
Film supplied by Film Images (London) www.film-images.com
