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War Poet on the Home Front

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War Poet on the Home Front THEART Humphrey Jennings (1907-1950) war poet on the home front FREDDY OGTEROP Erwin Leiser's Mein Kampf,PaulRotha'sThe Lindsay Anderson as`the only real poetthe Film/Video/DVD Selector life of Adolf Hitler,LouisClydeStoumen's British cinema has yet produced'. The black foxand Jack Kaufman'sThe rise Jennings was born in1907, the son ofa hough in two years'time we will be and fall of theThird Reich,allofthem middle-class architect father and a painter commemorating the 60th anniver- responding to the public'sobsession with mother. Academicallygifted and steepedin T AdolfHitler. The mere availability ofall that culture, he studied English at Cambridge, sary ofthe end ofWorld War II, there seems to be a continuinginterestin archival material almost demands that such where he took partin drama, painted and the subject, andnotjustonthe partofthose programmes should be made. Television's was co-editor ofa literary magazine. He oldenoughtohaveexperienceditatfirst appetite is ferocious and existing footage is graduated in1929 and from1934 contri- hand. How else can one explainthe avail- always cheaper than having to go on loca- buted to various films produced by John abilityofcountless videos covering every tion somewhere. Grierson's GPO Film Unit. Thoughinlater aspectofthe conflict, fromthe Blitzkrieg up As a result, numerous somewhat soul- years Grierson spoke ofhim with admira- to the bombing ofHiroshima and Nagasaki. less, made-by-the-numbers compilations tion, at the time they had little in common. Selecting the most importanttitles from the turn up, though there are always Though Jennings shared mostofGrierson's material available can be a problem, espe- exceptions. One ofthe most fascinating politicalviews, he was an artist rather than cially as manydistributors don'tnecessarily productions ofrecent years has been a propagandist andit has been said that identify each entryintheircatalogues very CarltonTelevision's The Second World War Grierson regarded him as anintellectual accurately and sometimes one has to take a in colour (available on video as Colour of dilettante. calculated chance. war). Through the decades, the vast Jennings's first film For many people it wasThamesTelevi- majorityofdocumentaries onthe war fea- as director was sion'sThe world at war (1975) that rekindled tured only black-and-white footage and Locomotives (1935) theirinterestinthe subject. Produced by though one knew better, there was a feeling and hislast A family Jeremy Isaacs and narrated by Laurence thatthe people who lived throughthose portrait (1950), made Olivier, this mammoth undertaking con- yearslived theirlivesin black-and-white. for the Festival of sisted of26 one-hour documentaries that The revelation ofso much colour footage Britain. However, there drew upon the archives ofthe world, but gave it all a new perspective. relied on the reminiscences ofa great many Much ofthe combatfootage usedin such individuals to give it an extra dimension. Of films was shot by cameramen ofthe various course, it was by no means the first series armed forces, supplemented by material to range so widely. As early as1952, the shotfor the newsreel companies. And National Broadcasting Company had sometimes there are sequences that come released Victory at sea,another26-part from actualwar-time documentaries, made series (of26 minutes each), that was pro- by filmmakers active atthe time. Over the ducedincooperationwiththe United States years we've beentrying to obtain copies of Navy. the mostimportantofthese films, picking It was television that was to provide the them up as distributors are re-releasing greatestoutletfor World War II documen- them on video. One ofthe key figures taries, though during the sixties a number whose work we have earmarked for col- offeature-length compilations were lectionis Humphrey Jennings, described by releasedinthe cinema. These included Cape Libr.,Mar/Apr 2003 24 is little doubtthatthe documentaries he success must be attributed to Jennings's col- country at war, the film presents the war made during the war are his most inter- leagues, a number ofwhom worked with as a threatto culture and tradition, while esting works and are the films for which he himtime and time again, notably producer at the same time conveying their innate is remembered. In many ways his style is at Ian Dalrympe, cinematographer HE Fowle strength and ability to survive. It blends its evocative images with a varietyofnat- odds with what is usually regarded as a and editor Stewart McAllister. The latter's ural sounds and a range ofmusic, from typicalwar-time documentary.They are role, especially, cannot be overestimated. In popular to classical (in Listening to notablylow-key affairs, with a total absence fact, on Jennings'sacknowledged master- Britain). ofbombastic voice-over commentaries. At piece, Listen to Britain,McAllisteris timesthewarisalmostregardedasanat- deservedlycredited as co-director and his . 1943 - Iwasafireman(71min) ural disaster and usuallyreferences to the seamless editing should be required In the format of what today would be described as a docu-drama, this deals enemyare fewand farbetween. Because all studying in all film schools. with the work ofthe Auxiliary Fire ofhis films were shot on the home front, Nevertheless, it is the overall vision of Service. The story unfolds fromthe early there is no combatfootage and the Humphrey Jennings that prevails. There is a morning assembly ofthe crew atthe fire emphasisis always on human behaviour subtle understatementto allhis work and station, to the fighting ofa blaze at a under extraordinary stress. usually the commentaryis entirelyabsentor warehouse at night. Itfeatures a musical As portraits ofwar-time Britain, they is keptto a bare minimum. Words for battle score by William Alwyn and is also present an almostidealised picture ofuni- uses excerpts ofwell-known poetry or known as Fires were started. fied determination to resist the onslaught of prose to accompany theimages ofwar-time . 1943 - The silent village (35 min) a faceless enemy - and to do so with dignity. Britain. Listen to Britain has a briefspoken In1942, the Germans exacted a terrible In some ways they are stereotypical ofhow introduction by Leonard Brockington, after revenge on the Czech mining village of the English are supposedto see themselves, which it uses only natural sounds and music. Lidice for the killing of SS Deputy Chief butthey are made with such grace and con- Jennings never explains, exhorts or haran- Reinhard Heydrich in Prague. In a tribute viction that one is happy to go along. Even gueshisaudience.Hisappealisemotional to their colleagues in Czechoslovakia, Rule Britannia sounds perfectly acceptable and he shapes the viewer'sfeelings through inhabitants ofa mining villageinWalesre- under the circumstances. Some ofhis an association ofimages and sounds. In enactthe events, vowing thatthe name ofLidice will never be forgotten. interest in the behaviour ofthe civilian addition his visuals have a lasting resonance. population probably stems fromthe time he Images from films like Listen to Britain . 1945 - AdiaryforTimothy(37 min) spent, during1937 and1938, with Mass and Iwasafiremanhave become familiar With the war coming to an end, people's Observation, a volunteer anthropological through their use in countless compilations. thoughts turned to peace and the world groupthat setoutto surveyhabits, customs that was being created for future and sociallife oftheinhabitants ofthe British Todate we have managed to obtain video generations. This film deals withthe closingstagesofthewar andisintheform Islands. copies ofthe following titles: ofadiarybeingkeptforanewbornchild. Allin all,Jennings directed twelve docu- . 1939 - The first days (22 min) The commentary was written by EM mentaries during World War II, first for the Co-directed by Harry Watt and Pat Forster andis spoken by Michael GPO Film Unit and then for its successor, Jackson, this is an account ofthe first Redgrave (in Listening to Britain). the Crown Film Unit. At least some oftheir weeks ofthe war, with the people of . Listen to Britain and Iwasafiremanare London adjusting to a newlifestyle, also available on16mm, as is Words for including air raid precautions, evacua- battle (1941), withthe commentaryread tions andthe departure oftroops (in The by Laurence Olivier. GPO story - Britain at war:The first days). Also available on video is the pre-war short, Spare time (1939). 194 0 - Britain can take it! (8 min) Quentin Reynolds presents this film as a For furtherinformation we can recom- despatch from England and describes to mend Humphrey Jennings: more than a his American audiences how Londoners maker of filmsby Anthony W Hodgkinson are coping with the night-time bombing and Rodney E Sheratsky (University Press raids. Co-directed by Harry Watt, itis ofNew England/1982). Also ofinterest (if also known as London can take it!, you can find it) is Jennings's own book Pan- under which title it was shown in the United States (inThe GPO story - daemonium1660-1886: the coming of the Britain at war: Under fire). machine as seen by contemporary obser- vers,editedbyMary-LouJenningsand . 1941 - The heart of Britain (9 min) Charles Madge. I've also found references Avisitto the industrial midlands and the to a recentdocumentary made for Channel north at the time ofthe Blitz, showing 4entitledHumphrey Jennings: the man how life, war production and culture persistinthe face ofthe bombings. who listened to Britain.Itwasmadeby Shown in the United States under the Kevin Macdonald, the Academy Award- title This is England (in Listening to winning director of One day in September. Britain). 3 . 1942 - Listen to Britain (19 min) An emotional and rousing portraitofthe Kaapse Bibl., Mar/Apr 2003 25.
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