Night Mail (1936)

193623mdir. Harry Watt, Basil WrightUnited Kingdomdocumentary film

With Stuart Legg, John Grierson

Directed by Harry Watt, Basil Wright

Night Mail is a 1936 British documentary film directed by Harry Watt and Basil Wright for the General Post Office (GPO) Film Unit. Widely considered a masterpiece of the British Documentary Film Movement, the 24-minute film chronicles the overnight journey of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway's (LMS) postal train as it transports mail from London's Euston station to Scotland. Commissioned by John Grierson to portray a modern, reliable civil service, the production is celebrated for its innovative avant-garde synthesis of image, sound, and editing, culminating in a famous lyrical sequence featuring a rhythmic musical score by Benjamin Britten and spoken-verse commentary by W. H. Auden.

Synopsis from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA. Streaming from YouTube.

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Also filed under

DOCUMENTARY

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Night Mail dates from 1936, directed by Harry Watt, Basil Wright. On MOVIE REWIND it plays on the GOLDEN AGE channel.

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