![Cinema Europe: The Other Hollywood (Brownlow, Gill, 1995 - 6 episodes)
My Winter Movies # 1
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Cinema Europe is a detailed analysis of movies on the continent from their turn-of-the-century beginnings to the start of the sound era. Kenneth Branagh reads the balanced and thoughtful narration. The first and last episodes are introductory and wrap-up bookends for the middle four, which concentrate on the national cinemas of Sweden, Germany, France, and England.
The wealth of information here is unparalleled. If you are used to German silent movies being explained with a few scraps of information on the rise of Nazism coupled with some ratty clips from Nosferatu and The Blue Angel, you’re in for a surprise. Brownlow must have spent the ’70s gathering filmed interviews because he has dozens of cameramen, actors, producers and crew people talking on camera, for films that in most documentaries are restricted to title and director. […]
The episode on France highlights Brownlow’s mentor Abel Gance, but has a wealth of detail about little-discussed artists like L’Herbier, often illustrated with vintage behind-the-scenes footage. Germany’s episode gives the most thorough look at the relationship between the expressionist movies and the economic and political chaos of the time. The breathtaking clips from the ‘mountain films’ of Fanck and Riefenstahl make one eager to see more. The dawning career of Alfred Hitchcock is one of the few bright lights in the early years of movies in England. On-camera testimonials from stars and filmmakers attest to the English climate of snobbery and disinterest (along with the quota-quickie mentality) that kept English talent from blooming.
The big surprise is the chapter on Sweden, a serious contender in the artistic sweepstakes that Savant has never seen displayed until this docu. In perfectly preserved clips, we see movies of great sensitivity and maturity — made in the ‘teens! More than just the home of Greta Garbo, Sweden had a great industry that was plundered by a stronger German one … we are reminded that before Hollywood stole Garbo from Germany, the Germans stole her from Sweden. (More here.)](http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_le3t6cFZXC1qbnfbzo1_500.jpg)
Cinema Europe: The Other Hollywood (Brownlow, Gill, 1995 - 6 episodes)
My Winter Movies # 1
__________
Cinema Europe is a detailed analysis of movies on the continent from their turn-of-the-century beginnings to the start of the sound era. Kenneth Branagh reads the balanced and thoughtful narration. The first and last episodes are introductory and wrap-up bookends for the middle four, which concentrate on the national cinemas of Sweden, Germany, France, and England.
The wealth of information here is unparalleled. If you are used to German silent movies being explained with a few scraps of information on the rise of Nazism coupled with some ratty clips from Nosferatu and The Blue Angel, you’re in for a surprise. Brownlow must have spent the ’70s gathering filmed interviews because he has dozens of cameramen, actors, producers and crew people talking on camera, for films that in most documentaries are restricted to title and director. […]
The episode on France highlights Brownlow’s mentor Abel Gance, but has a wealth of detail about little-discussed artists like L’Herbier, often illustrated with vintage behind-the-scenes footage. Germany’s episode gives the most thorough look at the relationship between the expressionist movies and the economic and political chaos of the time. The breathtaking clips from the ‘mountain films’ of Fanck and Riefenstahl make one eager to see more. The dawning career of Alfred Hitchcock is one of the few bright lights in the early years of movies in England. On-camera testimonials from stars and filmmakers attest to the English climate of snobbery and disinterest (along with the quota-quickie mentality) that kept English talent from blooming.
The big surprise is the chapter on Sweden, a serious contender in the artistic sweepstakes that Savant has never seen displayed until this docu. In perfectly preserved clips, we see movies of great sensitivity and maturity — made in the ‘teens! More than just the home of Greta Garbo, Sweden had a great industry that was plundered by a stronger German one … we are reminded that before Hollywood stole Garbo from Germany, the Germans stole her from Sweden. (More here.)
