STUART COOPER

Bil’s rating (out of 5):    BBBB.5. 

United Kingdom, 1975.  Joswend.  Screenplay by Christopher Hudson, Stuart Cooper.   Cinematography by John Alcott.   Produced by James Quinn.   Music by Paul Glass.   Film Editing by Jonathan Gill.  

Stunning, documentary-like World War II drama whose silences are louder than most of the battle sequences in other films on the subject. At its heart there is a story about a young man enlisted to serve His Majesty’s army, and we watch as his fear mounts in preparation for D-Day. What is more affecting, however, are the lengthy shots of technology and machinery, planes flying through the air, or bombs dropping on vast landscapes. This is a war film whose atmosphere creeps into you and leaves unforgettable, indelible images.

The Criterion Collection:  #382

Berlin Film Festival Award:  Special Jury Prize