Benjamin Britten - Peace and Conflict

[Dave2002]

Just noticed that this is on at our local cinema this week? Worth seeing?

[amateur51]

A bit more detail might help people to draw a considered conclusion, Dave2002

[Mary Chambers]

Try www.benjaminbrittenfilm.co.uk for more details. I haven't seen it yet, because it hasn't been shown anywhere near me, but I believe there's going to be a DVD eventually. It's a sort of drama documentary about BB's pacifism and its roots in his time at Gresham's School.

[amateur51]

Try www.benjaminbrittenfilm.co.uk for more details. I haven't seen it yet, because it hasn't been shown anywhere near me, but I believe there's going to be a DVD eventually. It's a sort of drama documentary about BB's pacifism and its roots in his time at Gresham's School.

Thanks Mary

[Dave2002]

Some of the reviews aren't too promising, but I/we might just go and see it anyway. The Evening Standard really didn't like it much, but the Guardian and Independent didn't dislike it so much.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2013/may/26/benjamin-britten-peace-conflict-review

[Mary Chambers]

Reviews usually contradict one another, so I don't take much notice of them. From the tiny bit I've seen (the trailer) I think Alex Lawther, who plays the schoolboy Britten, is rather good. The film seems to be a labour of love, made on a tight budget.

[Ferretfancy]

Reviews usually contradict one another, so I don't take much notice of them. From the tiny bit I've seen (the trailer) I think Alex Lawther, who plays the schoolboy Britten, is rather good. The film seems to be a labour of love, made on a tight budget.

Mary

The reviews appear to suggest that the tight budget you mention has led to a rather amateurish and discursive approach. By discursive I mean that material has been included which perhaps needed tighter editing, but this would have meant shooting new material and the cost was too much.
I'll certainly try to see the DVD

[Sir Velo]

Mary

The reviews appear to suggest that the tight budget you mention has led to a rather amateurish and discursive approach.

In other words, it may well be more interesting than the slick, blockbuster style of biopic the studios think the public wants.

[Dave2002]

In other words, it may well be more interesting than the slick, blockbuster style of biopic the studios think the public wants.

It was an interesting film. At our newly refurbished digital cinema the picture quality was at times very good, though some of the material came from archive or other sources, and was obviuously poor. Also, there were some lip sync problems - surely these shouldn't be embedded within the film. Maybe the projectionist should have tweaked this - I assume that there are still projectionists, even in digital cinemas

There was not any mention of "young boys" at all, which thiugh welcome, is surprising. Perhaps the relationship with Peter Pears was thought to be sufficient to identify Britten as different, though that was also very subdued.

Structurally it could have been different. A section on the War Requiem felt like the end of the film, but then it started up again. One problem I felt was the lack of text titling for some of the scenes. Unlike some TV documentsries, or news items, where the names of participants are shown repeatedly, there were sometimes no clues. Thus we noticed, and were informed about, Iain Burnside, but the tenor he accompanied was not identified until the ending credits.

One woman featured over and over, and she always wore dark glasses. Another director might have changed that.

The film is by Tony Britten, who I guess is probably unrelated to the subject of the film.

Despite some minor problems, I still felt it made an interesting evening out. Don't expect James Bond excitement! If you have an interest in Britten see it!

[Mary Chambers]

Structurally it could have been different. A section on the War Requiem felt like the end of the film, but then it started up again. One problem I felt was the lack of text titling for some of the scenes. Unlike some TV documentsries, or news items, where the names of participants are shown repeatedly, there were sometimes no clues. Thus we noticed, and were informed about, Iain Burnside, but the tenor he accompanied was not identified until the ending credits.

One woman featured over and over, and she always wore dark glasses. Another director might have changed that.

The film is by Tony Britten, who I guess is probably unrelated to the subject of the film.

The structure sounds a bit like the new Tony Palmer film about BB, Nocturne, which also appears to end several times before it does.

You are right that Tony Britten is unrelated to the subject of the film. The woman in the dark glasses in Peter Pears's niece, Sue Phipps, who worked for BB and PP in various capacities for much of her life. Perhaps she had to wear them for some reason.

Thank you for giving us your views. I may well have to wait for the DVD, but I'm sure I'll manage to see it eventually.