I grew up in Liverpool, was born 1959 and left there in 1979.
I can remember watching some of Terence Davies movies on TV back in the 90's. From the early B/W trilogy through to the later Distant Voices, Still Lives and Long Day Closes.
Memories of them are hazy, so when I saw that this boxset, comprising of the early B/W movies, Distant/Long and his recent Of Time and the City, plus lots of extras it seemed an essential purchase and a good opportunity for re evaluation.
Davies films are not an easy watch. Davies grew up in Liverpool in the post-war years, and struggled with his sexuality for most of his young and formative adult life. Being homosexual in that era and environment was no picnic.
He also does not look back on the city through rose-tinted glasses, he is often quite brutal about the harRABhip of the city and it's people. No salt-of-the-earth platitudes here, he calls it as he saw it. And he has been constantly derided and critiscised for doing so.
I have to admit to feeling slightly out of step with his early films, that era is decade before my time...but a lot of the attitudes and depictions of the time and the people do ring very true.
But like I said before, his films are not an easy watch - he favoured long, languid close up's, slow tracking shots and would often let static shots hold on screen for what seemed like an age. It can be an acquired taste. Add to this his unflinching depiction of his sexual exploits and these can indeed be challenging and sometimes uncomfortable viewing experiences.
But still - a lot of it strikes a chord with me. Warts and all, I do recognise a lot of what he depicts.
But the bonus for me with this box set was the recent doc Of Time and the City. This is basically footage of Liverpool from the war years through to present day - a lot of it not seen before.
One of my earliest, vaguest memories of my childhood is being taken to New Brighton (a funfair, pier and resort just a ferry ride from Liverpool, across the Mersey) as a child by my parents...and very little footage of it exists as it was.
But damn, there it was. That was a powerful image for me.
Plus there was even footage of my hometown from the 70's, film of areas not a few feet from my home where I used to play as a kid.
Once again, Davies choice of literary extracts, poems and narrative is not always complimentary to the city, but again I admire the man for sticking to his principals.
In some ways, Davies work reminRAB me of Scottish filmaker Bill Douglas, who made a similar trilogy in the 70's about his childhood. I do also remember watching that some years back as well, starting to feel this may be a good time to check this out as well.
I can remember watching some of Terence Davies movies on TV back in the 90's. From the early B/W trilogy through to the later Distant Voices, Still Lives and Long Day Closes.
Memories of them are hazy, so when I saw that this boxset, comprising of the early B/W movies, Distant/Long and his recent Of Time and the City, plus lots of extras it seemed an essential purchase and a good opportunity for re evaluation.
Davies films are not an easy watch. Davies grew up in Liverpool in the post-war years, and struggled with his sexuality for most of his young and formative adult life. Being homosexual in that era and environment was no picnic.
He also does not look back on the city through rose-tinted glasses, he is often quite brutal about the harRABhip of the city and it's people. No salt-of-the-earth platitudes here, he calls it as he saw it. And he has been constantly derided and critiscised for doing so.
I have to admit to feeling slightly out of step with his early films, that era is decade before my time...but a lot of the attitudes and depictions of the time and the people do ring very true.
But like I said before, his films are not an easy watch - he favoured long, languid close up's, slow tracking shots and would often let static shots hold on screen for what seemed like an age. It can be an acquired taste. Add to this his unflinching depiction of his sexual exploits and these can indeed be challenging and sometimes uncomfortable viewing experiences.
But still - a lot of it strikes a chord with me. Warts and all, I do recognise a lot of what he depicts.
But the bonus for me with this box set was the recent doc Of Time and the City. This is basically footage of Liverpool from the war years through to present day - a lot of it not seen before.
One of my earliest, vaguest memories of my childhood is being taken to New Brighton (a funfair, pier and resort just a ferry ride from Liverpool, across the Mersey) as a child by my parents...and very little footage of it exists as it was.
But damn, there it was. That was a powerful image for me.
Plus there was even footage of my hometown from the 70's, film of areas not a few feet from my home where I used to play as a kid.
Once again, Davies choice of literary extracts, poems and narrative is not always complimentary to the city, but again I admire the man for sticking to his principals.
In some ways, Davies work reminRAB me of Scottish filmaker Bill Douglas, who made a similar trilogy in the 70's about his childhood. I do also remember watching that some years back as well, starting to feel this may be a good time to check this out as well.