Saturday, February 06, 2010

An evening with the photograph album

On Wednesday we went to the Silk Screen to see Terence Davies' 'of time and the city' his affectionate hymn to Liverpool of days gone by. At one point there was film of New Brighton and I was reminded of a photo in my archives of me on the beach there in the 50's.

On the beach wearing a bow-tie??!!
Of the film, it was very self indulgent but wonderful nostalgia, insights into deprivation and community. Here's the trailer (there's another slightly different one also on youTube)

Wanted to link to this one though for the final Bernard Fallon shot.
The film tells of Davies' youth his (obviously failed in some sense) attempt to kick over the traces of his Catholic upbringing and his deep affection for place and memory.
I loved the cutting of the finale of the Mahler Resurrection Symphony into those last minutes, here's part of the text: (Mahler using Klopstock)
O believe,
You were not born for nothing!
Have not for nothing, lived, suffered!

What was created
Must perish,
What perished, rise again!
Cease from trembling!
Prepare yourself to live!

Davies prayer for his home city. He also quotes Eliot's Four Quartets hence the blog post title!
I was born and spent my first 10 years along the coast in the far more respectable Birkdale but the twinges of awoken memory were most welcome.

2 comments:

Suem said...

Aren't you cute? Glad you've ditched the bow tie though.

rajm said...

;-)