Documentary News Letter (1947-1949)

DOCUMENTARY NEWS LETTER 8s> folk, shrewd and sometimes obstinate, hut warmhearted always. They have a sturdy realism that makes the Plymouth family seem like ghosts. In a film where the naturalness of all the characters is outstanding there is still room for a special mention of the refreshing charm of the mill worker and her boy-friend. (Unlike the sophisticated miss of The Way We Live she will assuredly not end up with a feature contract!) It is ditlicult to deal with the policy questions touched upon in Cotton Comeback, largel) because the Working Party Report (to which considerable though cautious reference is made) has not yet been adopted, let alone implemented. In these circumstances one cannot blame the director for having depended a good deal on exhortation. Stress had to be laid on the responsi bility of employers and workers alike to join in the solution of the industry's problems, and this means on the one hand the modernization and rationalization of production and on the other the taking up of employment in the mills. The film struggles manlullv with these issues, but it has pitifully little to go on. True, it is pointed out, and even shown, that some enlightened employers are going to great trouble to attract labour, but the key question of wages is neither in fact nor, therefore, in the film, faced up to. (At one point it even appeared that the employers would do anything for the workers except pay them a living wage!) But these are small criticisms of an otherwise interesting, concise and human film, of the type which the average cinemagoer will welcome. No. 5. Thoroughbreds for the World Thoroughbreds for the World provides twenty minutes of snob-appeal (Lord Derby, his home, lis horses, Ins trainer, his stud groom), love-ofanimals appeal (racehorses from the Ciodolphin Barb to Airborne, and from foalhood to maturity), appeal to business instincts and patriotism (bloodstock an important Mulish export), appeal to sporting instincts (The Derbj and a rapid tour of the world's classic horse-races), no sex-appeal. two or three moments of great beauty (riderless horses in movement », Britain's most meaningless music track to date, and (almost certainly) one yawn from the commentator between sentences It is ve'l photographed, not \ery well directed, and no more than competently cut. My guess is that somebody broke his heart padding it out to two reels, but it is all very picturesque and tranquil to the point of boredom. 'THIS MODERN AGE' SERIES Distribution: G.F.D. 20 mins. each film. No. 3. Tomorrow by Air Tomorrow by Air is an adequate survey of British Civil Aviation from the pioneers of flight to the jet-research Lancastrian. It contains a wealth of good material — the historical stuff of early aeroplanes is fascinating all by itself — and gives a decent account of current developments. We get a look at all the major civil aircraft types now in service or under construction; we glimpse research and development work in progress; the Anglo-American jet race comes in and so do a lot of other interesting things. Apart from a few bits of mis-timing, a pointless musical score, and a commentator who recites his stuff as if he didn't know what it meant, didn't care what it meant, and would rather be in bed anyway, this ought to be a good film, but unfortunately it fails. It fails because it is not exciting. Its fundamental fault is that it poses no problem; there are no internal tensions; it does nothing to the audience save assure it that all is, and always has been, well with British Civil Aviation. Now, aviation is full of problems, both technical and social; air pioneering was a ditlicult, illsupported, haphazard business; public ownership of airlines is a fine debating point; the fact that flying is still attended by certain risks is present in all our minds today; the problem of technical achievement outstripping social advance gi\es us all to think — in short the whole subject bristles with fascinating intellectual exercises. But no, instead of something which would arouse discussion, get a reaction from its audience and make people go through the motions of thought, 'This Modern Age' gives us a soothing cup of warm cocoa — the very best cocoa, made with real milk, but not the stuff to jerk the cinema addict up in his seat; not the stuff to set the customers arguing in the aisles, and not the stuff to bring them back next week asking for more. I his is a pity. The 'This Modern Age' series set a high standard with their housing film, and the Unit now have a big chance to lay about them with vigour, vitality and gusto. Let them tilt at a windmill or two, they have excellent lances and a free right hand; let them attack with violence or present some reasoned arguments, let them have a hearty crack at doing something and aiming somewhere. Enough of this over optimistic 'Pippa passes' business, with skill and craftsmanship in an industrial heaven, and all's right with the world. We know we're good, now let's hear how we might be better. Actuality is not enough — it's got to be creative handling of actuality, and creation is a shocking, vitalizing, disturbing affair, quite different from warm cocoa. And there ought to be a legal way of banning the line 'Then came — war! (boom — boom)' from commentaries for the next ten years. No. 4. Fabrics of the Future Fabrics of the Future succeeds because it does what Tomorrow by Air and Thoroughbreds for the World (especially Thoroughbreds for the World) fail to do — it poses a problem. In fact it poses a whole row of problems, and so it makes you listen and watch. Through the Middle Ages, it argues, Britain's prosperity was built on wool, and in our own time the Dominions are big exporters of wool to Britain. A widespread and important economic set-up exists to deal with the world's wool. Now, along come synthetics — textiles made from wood pulp, dead fish, glass or what have you. Where do we go from here? Can the wool trade fight back ; ought it to fight back ; do we want it to fight back? Can it cope with its internal problems — labour shortage, bad factory conditions and so on? What is it doing to improve its product? The film doesn't supply all the answers, nor should it — it awakens interest in what is evidentK a verj real problem, and it does so in an honest, workmanlike fashion. Considering issues 3, 4 and 5 of the 'This Modern Age' series together and in the light of the earlier issues {Homes for Ml and Scotland Yard) it is apparent that the Unit still has a good deal to leai □ about sound-track — what to put on and how to time it with the shots; how to achieve some sort of synthesis so thai tracks and \isual fuse up into a lihn: and a lot to learn about how the facts which they photograph so well can be made intellectually or emotionall) exciting. The public cinema screen in this country is wide open to the 'This Modern Age' series, and the age is full of problems and perplexities for the public cinema audience put these two tacts together and watch them Hare up into something line. No. 6. Palestine The subject of Palestine and its political problems is for many of us these days an incentive to reach for the bromide, prepared to swear that any piece of film speaking on the subject is going to have its message countered by the next piece. 'This Modern Age' manages to hold back the sedative-craving arm just long enough — and then to say quite simply, 'There are two sides to this question; we will take them one at a time. First, the Jews'. It proceeds to do so. It then does as much for the Arabs. Though one has the impression that less space is devoted to them, the balance struck leaves each side equally deserving, each equally blameworthy. The whole approach is feeling and sincere, with a pleasant quality of restraint which colours both commentary and visuals. 'This Modern Age, No. 6' is another attentionholding production whose qualities — particularly photography— lead one to hope we may soon forget to compare it with earlier products of the same genre. It will be interesting to see whether the fretful stridency of the March of Doom catches the ears of world audiences more firmly than the reasoned, warmer tones of this latest film periodical. No. 7. Coal Crisis This is by far the best issue of 'This Modern \ . so far It bears every e\ idence of careful scripting, and of skilled shooting to the script. It is a difficult and tricky subject which might easily have been spoiled by timid handling; fortunately the editorial approach adopted is both couraei. and clear-headed Points o\ fact and points of argument arc fairb and squarel) presented, and .is a result the cinema-going public at large has the opportunity to gel a clear understanding o\ the basic long-term issues behind the fuel crisis. Ii is gratifying also to note a great improvement on previous issues as regards (he soundtrack. The commentary is brisk and incisive, and the music is not onl) appropriate but also sparinglv used, lis absence when points of major emphasis are made is extreme!) effective, and certainly much more so than the usual blan trumpets beloved o\ screen journal 1:1 his Modern Vge' can keep up to this standard it will be the best series of its type anywhere. [continued ;•