Listen to Britain (1942)

[@SuperDancingdevil]

Not Propaganda but an important piece of social history, Sure the sound could do with a bit of a clean up but for all that it is still very watchable, A few things on there reminded me of my Mother who used to work 12-15 hour shifts at a Uniform Factory then after a couple of hours off she’d be back during Air Raids to watch for fires and put out incendiary bombs, The other thing was the Dance Hall sequence My Mother often said “We worked very hard and every day could very well be your last on earth so you found fun and entertainment wherever you could” That’s why dances etc were so very popular then, Most people had resigned themselves to the fact that they could be killed in the next air raid so why worry, This film needs cleaning up and preserving.

[@BR-bj3ot]

It’s an 84 year old film and wonderful. What a shame that many could only complain about the sound. Shows how spoiled we have become!

[@arfacat]

love it ... the period music with the segments with only the live noise of the specific setttings ... awesome!!!

[@FungusMossGnosis]

This was one of Susan Sontag's all-time favorite movies. Have to say, she had fine taste! Hit: 2:02 to skip the intro to Humphrey Jennings's masterpiece proper. I can see the influence this had on directors like Lindsay Anderson, Terence Davies, maybe even Alain Resnais. Magical, impressionistic use of sound. Perfectly edited.

[@MrLarryC11]

Pity that the sound quality is so poor. Could have been really interesting!

[@davidsanderson5918]

This is not just a lament for togetherness as a nation but also a lament for the ways of living as a community of family and friends. Seeing the people dance together (guaranteed a partner!!), make music together, work together and spend quality time, face to face physically in conversation....these were things taken for granted till very recently when the internet, social media and mobile phones shifted human communication away from the physical and encouraged each person into a virtual domain of living. I feel so privileged to have been alive in the latter third of the 20th century when the joy of human physical contact was the only option. If there is any meaning to life at all it is in LIVING it and living it means going out, being with people and making memories. You won't remember what happened on your phone!! Obviously this film was meant to send a quite different patriotic message. But it has quite a different effect for me watching in 2021.

[@blipblip88]

Hopefully there is a better restored version of this..or one in the making. Thanks.

[@scottmunson2917]

Think this one is better! kzbin.info/www/bejne/pHLKlpanr52Lbsk

[@FungusMossGnosis]

@mtgeorge53 Thank you for sharing that. I wish I were at that lecture. Unfortunately, I wasn't born yet. My favorite documentary filmmaker is probably Jean Rouch or Flaherty, but Jennings is right up there with them, despite his small output.

[@wcstevens7]

Great Britain...A small country, yes, but one that punches well above its weight !!!!

[@nicmart]

And that has been very unfortunate for the Indians and Middle Easterners punched.

[@Redhackle]

Was captivated. What now are we left except for pure idiocy.

[@mikeos1]

You see the Queen in the audience at the Myra Hess concert.

[@alexanderperry1844]

Later Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother. On her 100th birthday she had her Equerry open the telegram from her daughter using his sword. 100 going on 18 .... :-))

[@watlingfen]

Regrettable poor sound quality on this upload but no complaint whatsoever regards content (including introduction) I was born 2 years after the war ended and here in England we were taught to be proud of Empire & Commonwealth - not cynical . I still feel very proud that we share Canada's Queen with Australia , New Zealand and other parts of the world , God bless all these countries , but don't forget the U.K. please .....

[@belila_titanovie]

1. 0:30 - обращение к зрителю 2. 2:10-2:12 - низкое небо, ракурс из травы 3. 2:51-2:58 - эмоциональность съёмки 4. 3:09 и 3:31- камера не статична и наоборот 5. 3:20-3:29 - выхватывает частные сюжеты из целого 6. 4:15 - нелинейность 7. 5:07-5:21 - поезд 8. 5:25 - персонажность, фактура лиц и характеров звук важен 9. 7:23 - состояние "я подхожу" 10. 9:53-10:07 - человек шагает 11. 10:15-11:00 - листва, чай и дети 12. 11:53-12:10 - весёлая работа 13. 12:39 - буквально любое караоке... 14. 15:25 - солдат и картина

[@КелзоКелзо]

спасибо за таймкоды, полезно

[@andykelly7321]

16:35 That couple just had a row of some sort.

[@sandysandy8184]

Big time

[@crischeek7176]

since the film is about listening it would be useful to have a quality sound track . . this one jitters and jumps x

[@fionaroberts8291]

+cris cheek shut up the sound track is amazing better than juno and straight out of compton

[@crischeek7176]

+Fiona Roberts hehe . . well, nothing as good as the sound track on my DVD copy . . i KNOW the soundtrack is amazing, hence my concern about the quality of this upload . full volume on a laptop it is hardly audible. Sorry. I'm clearly not the only person who is noticing it. FANTASTIC movie and hugely important. This upload does not help its reputation. IMHO x

[@kostajovanovic3711]

@@fionaroberts8291 ???

[@London_my_love]

This film can be viewed at the Museum of the Imperialist War in London.it is shown there on a big screen in a dark room

[@SuperDancingdevil]

Loretta I think you mean “Imperial War Museum “ We all make typos even me lol!.

[@PicturePuller]

there seem to be bits missing from this version

[@bartonside]

LOng one of myfavourites, this film is frequently raided by TV producers seeking Home Front.footage. My understanding is that Leonard Brockington's introduction wa added at the request of 4film distributors who felt that without it cinema-goers would not understand the film.

[@jamesbrennan6022]

But AMERICAN audiences! Brockington INTRODUCES hiself as a CANADIAN. During the War, the British Monistry of Information NEVER used the word "Propaganda". But it DID put a lot of effort into trying to make sure that Government (itself) reported what actually happened ( which wasn't always what the services and some parts of the Government itself, actually thought should be allowed). And it knew that things weren't always as they appear here.

[@PhlChmbrs]

The sad thing is that it's better to watch this without the introduction. The ideas of what is being told from you come at you so much more subtly. It uplifts you but you know in your mind that it's just propaganda, but done in such an intelligent and poetic way! You don't mind at all!

[@LiteratureTodayUK]

Myra Hess is so redoubtable at 15:30

[@SniperKing996]

4 adverts...

[@Bisley56]

ooops, correction, anno 1965 not '56

[@alexanderperry1844]

Whilst accepting the difficulties of 2020, it could be AT LOT worse. Keep Calm and Carry On. The Clouds will soon Roll By ....

[@Bisley56]

Hi John, Sorry to tell you this but it is clear to me that you do not understand the meaning of the word "propaganda" Here is what it means according to my dictionary, (1) information, ideas or rumours deliberately spread widely to help or harm a person, group, movement, institution nation etc. (2) the deliberate spreading of such information, rumours etc. In the video there are no rumours or ideas and no intention to help or harm Britain. An honest presentation of the facts and that's all.

[@grayforester]

Information deliberately spread widely to help a nation, that falls under propaganda. Don't let the breadth of that definition fool you. Your definition of propaganda must be narrower than that. (Concentration camp is a definition that fits today's Texas detention facilities, but since the term was used to describe the enemy, the definition chafes.)

[@fionaroberts8291]

good film, shame about the colour though

[@gezbo66]

@dlushd Here, here...

[@Bisley56]

OED Concise version anno 1956

[@Ronbo710]

Back when the BBC meant Britain First!!

[@rafflesman]

Absolutely, What a shower the BBC is now

[@Elitist20]

'Brtain First!' - shouted by the murderer of Jo Cox MP.

[@cmasseylynch]

The Human Spirit that blossomed during WW2 in Britain - was slowly destroyed by the Tories after the War -which they have continued to this day -

[@andreacvecic]

Magicgagement, classicprop.

[@Bisley56]

It is absolutely wrong to describe this film as "propaganda". Not one scene has been contrived, orchestrated or manipulated so as to present things in a better way than they really are. Nothing is "sad" about it. It is an honest presentation, in pictures and sound of Britain. I do not imagine the producer(s) wanted to "uplift" anyone, they simply are portraying things as they really were during those difficult times.

[@DogeFrom2014]

Agreed, this may be a war film but it's definitely not propaganda. It's portraying the realities of war in Britain.

[@kostajovanovic3711]

No, this is definitely a propaganda piece

[@scottjoseph9578]

Back when the BBC opposed rape and infanticide.

[@toneechestnut1938]

I’m old enough to remember those days but too young to understand what was going on . Well now I know that it was the beginning of building a social society with the welfare state and decent living . After many years of Tory rule we now have another attempt to recreate that just society again

[@mohawkdriver2504]

No ethnic representation, just decent, fit, well dressed real citizens of England. Too bad that they, like their American counterparts allowed multiculturalism to ruin their country.

[@Beach_comber]

England is a marvellous place today. Ruined forsooth! I'd much rather live in modern England than in the England of 1942 or the post war 1946, though I'm fond of the old England.

[@JJaqn05]

@@Beach_comber Modern England is terrible.

[@dkizxpt-su3ze]

@@Beach_comber You're completely brainwashed and institutionalized Clinically insane

[@johncmullen1960]

Perhaps it is just very good propaganda.

[@cidvasconcelos6919]

Resenha sobre o filme: magiadoreal.blogspot.com/2022/10/filme-do-dia-listen-to-britain-1942.html