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The Small Back Room (Michael Powell & Emeric Pressburger, 1949)
This lesser Powell/Pressburger film still contains many set-pieces of world-class filmmaking. The actual plot involves a bomb expert, working in the back room of a bureaucratic government organization in 1943, but, needless to say, England is constantly being attacked by "silent" bombs. These aren't the buzzbombs so wonderfully depicted in Green For Danger, but small thermos-sized bombs dropped which kill one or two soldiers or children at a time when they find them and move them without thinking. What makes this film more complex than usual is that the lead character (David Farrar) has already lost a foot from a bomb during WWII and he has a strong affinity to drink whiskey to help him forget about his infirmity and situation. However, he has a loving fiancee (Kathleen Byron) who works in his office and provides him with enough support to get him through his "average" weaknesses.
This film DOES seem very low-key and almost disappointing as a piece of "just" storytelling, but as a piece of CINEMATIC storytelling, it has almost as many awesome set pieces as the duo's usual films. For example, there's an almost throwaway scene at Stonehenge involving the testing of an important gun for the Army. It's truly inspiring. Then, there's a visit by the "Minister" (Robert Morley) to the shop of the "Boys in the Back Room" which is definitely on the hilarious side. Another scene which is very funny is the bureaucratic discussion of the advantages/disadvatages of the gun tested at Stonehenge. Jack Hawkins especially gets to shine in that scene, along with Farrar. Ultimately, the best scenes are probably the scene where Farrar freaks out, not due to his drinking, but due to his lack of drinking. The way Powell is able to include the clock, the booze bottle, the curtains and David Farrar, all alone in his living room, is spectacular. Probably the other most-spectacular scene is the bomb-defusing conclusion on the rocky beach at the end. Nail-biting suspense right there.
This is another film where things might seem slow or boring, but if you actually pay attention to all the craft (the photography, sound, editing, sets, costumes and acting), you will notice many things which you may have missed the first time through.
This lesser Powell/Pressburger film still contains many set-pieces of world-class filmmaking. The actual plot involves a bomb expert, working in the back room of a bureaucratic government organization in 1943, but, needless to say, England is constantly being attacked by "silent" bombs. These aren't the buzzbombs so wonderfully depicted in Green For Danger, but small thermos-sized bombs dropped which kill one or two soldiers or children at a time when they find them and move them without thinking. What makes this film more complex than usual is that the lead character (David Farrar) has already lost a foot from a bomb during WWII and he has a strong affinity to drink whiskey to help him forget about his infirmity and situation. However, he has a loving fiancee (Kathleen Byron) who works in his office and provides him with enough support to get him through his "average" weaknesses.
This film DOES seem very low-key and almost disappointing as a piece of "just" storytelling, but as a piece of CINEMATIC storytelling, it has almost as many awesome set pieces as the duo's usual films. For example, there's an almost throwaway scene at Stonehenge involving the testing of an important gun for the Army. It's truly inspiring. Then, there's a visit by the "Minister" (Robert Morley) to the shop of the "Boys in the Back Room" which is definitely on the hilarious side. Another scene which is very funny is the bureaucratic discussion of the advantages/disadvatages of the gun tested at Stonehenge. Jack Hawkins especially gets to shine in that scene, along with Farrar. Ultimately, the best scenes are probably the scene where Farrar freaks out, not due to his drinking, but due to his lack of drinking. The way Powell is able to include the clock, the booze bottle, the curtains and David Farrar, all alone in his living room, is spectacular. Probably the other most-spectacular scene is the bomb-defusing conclusion on the rocky beach at the end. Nail-biting suspense right there.
This is another film where things might seem slow or boring, but if you actually pay attention to all the craft (the photography, sound, editing, sets, costumes and acting), you will notice many things which you may have missed the first time through.