Of Time and the City

[ursus arctos]

Is the name of Terrence Davies' latest documentary, which got this rave review in this morning's FT.

"A fearless individual voice in an invisible echo chamber. Great art starts with the particular and swells, without strain or declarative intent, into the universal. Of Time and the City , Terence Davies's wonderful new documentary, is a portrait of the filmmaker's Liverpool childhood that grows organically into a social history of Britain. Not content with that - a tragicomic picture of the Disunited Kingdom in the 20th century's second half - it grows into something more. A piece of poetry about change and steadfastness, brilliantly diverse while also cogently compact.

It sounds absolutely up my street (and those of a number of others on here). Has anyone seen it?

[Ek weet nie]

Of Time and the City

I haven't seen it yet but I plan on seeing it at the weekend. It opens tomorrow here.

[King On The Rye]

Of Time and the City

Here's the website:

http://www.oftimeandthecity.com/index.php

I'm hoping to see it on Friday afternoon - for those interested, Terence Davies is doing a Q and A after the 6.45 showing at the Curzon Soho this Friday.

[ursus arctos]

Of Time and the City

Please report back.

I'd be very interested to hear where he got the b&w footage from.

[Amor de Cosmos]

Of Time and the City

There was an article/interview on this when I was in the UK in May (Probably in the Graun.) I think the material is drawn from varied sources, a la Ken Burns, though I'd be surprised if it was used the same way. Davies is a stone genius in my book, probably the closest thing to Proust the movies have.

[beak]

Of Time and the City

Desperately hope to find time next week to go and see this; what little bumph I've seen/read about it makes it look glorious, and right up my alley.

(Complete lack of insight post.)

[Ek weet nie]

Of Time and the City

I saw this yesterday. It's mesmerising and unlike any film I've ever seen. I'm not sure I'm capable of giving it a proper review as I'm sure some things went over my head and I'm still muddling over some aspects.

First thing is his voice, I found it enchanting and would have listened to it all day. I'm not sure everybody will feel that way. The most surprising thing is how accessible it is. I'm forty years younger than Davies and only know the modern incarnation of Liverpool but there wasn't one section of the film that alienated me or that I couldn't relate to on some level.

The images are fascinating, I'd love to see more of the archive footage. I stayed for the credits but I think there was about 30 organisations credited for archive footage. The sense of the changing of the city, the loss of community and togetherness was spine tinglingly good. Mirroring the escapism he got in films to the exodus to the beach was a lovely touch.

His treatment of The Beatles, the Merseybeat and football success was unlike any other I have ever seen in dealing with Liverpool at the time. Mixing it with heartbreaking images of the brick houses being destroyed and the imposing impersonal towerblocks being erected showed the realities of the city.

His humour mostly came from his anger of the church, monarchy and wasted opportunities of town planning. The magnificent architecture of the city that remained from when it was a force was shown throughout. At first it was magnificent but it became more and more tarnished by it's surroundings despite being impeccably restored.

A really superb film which should be seen by all who show the slightest interest in the premise. Oh, the soundtrack is superb also. Peggy Lee's "The Folk's Who Live On The Hill" being the highlight for me.

[Cavalry Trouser Tips]

Of Time and the City

Anyone know where I can see this in the Midlands?

[King On The Rye]

Of Time and the City

So I saw this on Friday and enjoyed it immensly. It has its flaws - Davies' slightly pompous, sometimes preposterous delivery can grate, for example, although you get used to it - but it is, as far as I am aware (and I'm by no means a cinema expert) a fairly unique production. On the one hand, it's a pretty conventional sort of lament for a grimy but honest Liverpool that died some time in the 1960s; on the other hand, this is not a documentary, this is not even really history, it's a collection of memories. What really makes it wothwhile, though, is the juxtaposition of music and image, of old Liverpool and Brahms, the Korean War and the Hollies, tower blocks and Peggy Lee. All that and there are strangely thrilling assaults on the royal family and the Beatles too. It's very touching, moving even. Worth just over an hour of anybody's time.

I didn't actually go the showing with Davies' Q and A after, but there's a 10-minute interview on the website during which he addresses where he got the footage from, among other things.

[Ek weet nie]

Of Time and the City

Videocast of Terence Davies from the Grauniad

[Ek weet nie]

Of Time and the City

For those who missed it in the cinema, it was realised this week on DVD.

PS Why is the search function so shit? Film & TV depends on a working search function more than most.

[ChrisJ]

Of Time and the City

Nil Arshavin wrote:

I saw this yesterday. It's mesmerising and unlike any film I've ever seen. I'm not sure I'm capable of giving it a proper review as I'm sure some things went over my head and I'm still muddling over some aspects.

First thing is his voice, I found it enchanting and would have listened to it all day. I'm not sure everybody will feel that way. The most surprising thing is how accessible it is. I'm forty years younger than Davies and only know the modern incarnation of Liverpool but there wasn't one section of the film that alienated me or that I couldn't relate to on some level.

The images are fascinating, I'd love to see more of the archive footage. I stayed for the credits but I think there was about 30 organisations credited for archive footage. The sense of the changing of the city, the loss of community and togetherness was spine tinglingly good. Mirroring the escapism he got in films to the exodus to the beach was a lovely touch.

His treatment of The Beatles, the Merseybeat and football success was unlike any other I have ever seen in dealing with Liverpool at the time. Mixing it with heartbreaking images of the brick houses being destroyed and the imposing impersonal towerblocks being erected showed the realities of the city.

His humour mostly came from his anger of the church, monarchy and wasted opportunities of town planning. The magnificent architecture of the city that remained from when it was a force was shown throughout. At first it was magnificent but it became more and more tarnished by it's surroundings despite being impeccably restored.

A really superb film which should be seen by all who show the slightest interest in the premise. Oh, the soundtrack is superb also. Peggy Lee's "The Folk's Who Live On The Hill" being the highlight for me.

This is a very old thread to resurrect, but OTATC was shown on BBC last night and I this evening I watched the recording with MrsCJ, who's from those parts. I'd go with most of what Nil said, although as I'm a generation closer to Davies, the footage from the '50s and '60s recalled visits to my grandparents' house.

You don't have to have the slightest connection with Liverpool - or have coped with being gay in those times - to appreciate this. I thought the themes were pretty universal. It was beautifully put together, a real triumph, though I was a little thrown by the opening lines being Houseman - I'd have thought 19th Century Shropshire is about as far from Liverpool as you can get.

Don't go looking for a social history of the city, it's far too personal a statement for that. Anyway, if you get the chance to see it, I don't think you'll be disappointed.