THE BRITISH DOCUMENTARY
1. John Grierson, the former street preacher who founded the movement, gave a definition of what documentary was. He said 'Documentary outlines the patterns of independence'. There are areas which I agree with but in this case I disagree, just for this video. This British documentary relives the economic crisis of the 1930's and the Second World War. There is a scene where the bombs reigned down and the men march off to fight. The documentarist kept the focus on the life of ordinary people. It shows the connection between people supporting each other to get through this long, hard journey. You could say the men singing, is a positive way of showing each other support and team work. Independence wouldn't have won the war, so documentary doesn't just outline independence.
2. The British Documentary Movement depicted what was not seen by large audiences. The audience couldn't see how the country relied on the hard labor of the working class, until it was given a nationwide release. To achieve this social purpose, documentary needed to reveal the truth about British lives. Britain was in the grip of 'The great depression' at the start of the 1930's, following a worldwide stock market crash that had fallen by half. There are shots showing potters, shepherds and fishermen, giving publicity to the government for their contribution to the economy. Documentarists believed this would get Britain back on its feet.
3. 'London Can Take It' from 1940 was nominated for an Oscar award in the US. It was about how the Capital were bearing up under German bombing raids. It was hoping it would sway the US public towards an alliance with Britain. At 6:30, the link below shows footage from the film. It is a powerful film, because it is showing the horrific reality that Britain is facing. It is like your worst nightmares are being projected onto the screen, with the bombing of the Germans killing innocent people. It fascinates me to watch events happening that I will not experience in my life. The documentarists approach the subject with a close-up on the frantic workers and weapons used to defend the country. There is a lot of negativity within the film, such as the dialogue describing the raid sounds as 'The Symphony of War'. It's makes me anxious to hear the loud warning sirens because it indicates Britain is under attack.
2. The British Documentary Movement depicted what was not seen by large audiences. The audience couldn't see how the country relied on the hard labor of the working class, until it was given a nationwide release. To achieve this social purpose, documentary needed to reveal the truth about British lives. Britain was in the grip of 'The great depression' at the start of the 1930's, following a worldwide stock market crash that had fallen by half. There are shots showing potters, shepherds and fishermen, giving publicity to the government for their contribution to the economy. Documentarists believed this would get Britain back on its feet.
3. 'London Can Take It' from 1940 was nominated for an Oscar award in the US. It was about how the Capital were bearing up under German bombing raids. It was hoping it would sway the US public towards an alliance with Britain. At 6:30, the link below shows footage from the film. It is a powerful film, because it is showing the horrific reality that Britain is facing. It is like your worst nightmares are being projected onto the screen, with the bombing of the Germans killing innocent people. It fascinates me to watch events happening that I will not experience in my life. The documentarists approach the subject with a close-up on the frantic workers and weapons used to defend the country. There is a lot of negativity within the film, such as the dialogue describing the raid sounds as 'The Symphony of War'. It's makes me anxious to hear the loud warning sirens because it indicates Britain is under attack.
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