For those of us who only really remember seeing the "Queen Elizabeth" wrecked in Hong Kong harbour this is quite an interesting watch as she is pushed by tug boats from Southampton harbour about to start a cruise. The remainder of this rather over-scored short documentary engagingly illustrates the myriad of activities that keep this port functioning - and the people who turn out at all times of the day and in all weathers. Trains come and go, full of just about every commodity, including the Royal Mail, and the personnel must deal with the logistics of getting things and passengers in and out - a good excuse to see some old railway engines and some fine ships like the "Edinburgh Castle", the "Andes" the "Queen Mary" as well as some pea-soup thick sea-fog too. A (very) formal management structure shows us just how things are kept moving with everyone super-polite to each other as they ensure the daily routine never fails. It is a bit on the long side, but does give a sense of just how varied and important even the smallest of roles were keeping things safe and moving in this hectic environment.
2 Reviews
"To seek something new"
boblipton28 December 2023
Based on Baudelaire's poem "Le Voyage", J. B. Holmes' BAFTA-nominated short subject tries to find the excitement in a staid, workaday seaport, Southampton, and succeeds.
At first it seems to be just shots of the city and port, and the people, usually sailors, walking about and taking cabs. However, the shots are taken from on high or from extreme ranges, accenting the alienness of these situations, the strangeness, and the editing has a lot of fast cuts, imposing excitement on what's going on. Later, as men and women prepare to go to sea, whether as part of the crew or simple travelers, the mood has been set by images and quotations from Baudelaire's poem. It's a terrific mood piece.
At first it seems to be just shots of the city and port, and the people, usually sailors, walking about and taking cabs. However, the shots are taken from on high or from extreme ranges, accenting the alienness of these situations, the strangeness, and the editing has a lot of fast cuts, imposing excitement on what's going on. Later, as men and women prepare to go to sea, whether as part of the crew or simple travelers, the mood has been set by images and quotations from Baudelaire's poem. It's a terrific mood piece.
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