Film Screening Report: The Lavender Hill Mob (1951) UK

Film Screening Report

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          **  The Lavender Hill Mob (1951), U.K.

Plot summary:

1.       What is the story being told?  Give a brief summary of the narrative:

a.       A bank clerk decides to rob the bank that he works for and enlists the help of his neighbor, a business owner, and two common thieves. Together they steal gold bars, which they melt down and mold into Eiffel tower paperweights. Trouble ensues when six gold Eiffel towers are sold to young school girls on holiday in Paris, and one young girl refuses to exchange her gold tower for a lead version. After an exciting and somewhat comical police chase through London, the bank clerk escapes to Rio de Janeiro where he is shown telling his story (a.k.a. confession) to an officer.

Production history:

1.       How was the film made?

a.       The film is a comedy caper film and much of the lighting and editing is representative of Hollywood gangster type films.

2.       Were there any historically important people involved in the production?

a.       Alec Guinness, the main star, went on to win several awards in Britain and America, and is most well known as his role as Obi-wan Kenobi in the Star Wars trilogy (1970s). He is one of only three British actors who were successful in their transition from the Shakespearean theaters of the U.K. to Hollywood blockbusters.

b.      Stanley Holloway, also a main role star, was well known in the British Broadway and stage shows, and went on to reprise his stage role as Mr. Doolittle in the 1964 film version of My Fair Lady.

c.       Douglas Slocombe, the cinematographer, was a member of both the British and American Society of Cinematographers, and was also the cinematographer for three Indiana Jones films.

d.      Producer, Michael Balcon is the grandfather of actor Daniel Day-Lewis.

Historical & cultural content:     

1.       When & where was the film made?

a.       1951, UK (England)

2.       What was going on at the time?

a.       The Festival of Britain, in the summer of 1951, was a national exhibition held throughout the UK to commemorate the Great Exhibition from 1851 (centennial). The Festival was organized to give the British a feeling of recovery in the aftermath of the British Army’s lost battle of the Korean War.

3.       How is the historical and cultural milieu of the production reflected in the film itself?

a.       There are scenes in the film in which you can see rubble and debris from the aftermath of war. There is also a center-theme of eccentricity that was a known trait to the Ealing Studio comedies.

Aesthetic approach:

1.       What are the themes of the film? How do the stylistic techniques of the filmmakers help communicate the themes of the film?

a.       The film uses a mix of realism and stylization to depict the eccentric lives of these ordinary Brits. Some scenes are shot on location, while others are shot indoors with low-key lighting and deep-focus composition, which parody film noir style. The contrast of the styles work well together to keep the storyline believable and depict the emotions of the characters, while still keeping a light-hearted approach to the comedy.

Film excerpt:

What is the key scene in the film?

      The scene in which Mr. Holland begins to retell his story. It shows that he has a routine life and is a rule-following, overlooked bank employee. In the retelling, we are shown that he is frustrated with this life, and he is considering how to steal from his bank.  The arrival of a new neighbor, and business owner, prompts him to enlist the neighbors help in the heist.

The Magic of Christmas

Like many people this time of year, I immerse myself in Christmas. My tree and decorations are brought out the day after Thanksgiving. I start watching Christmas movies and I integrate Christmas music into my shuffle. I love Christmas. Many people do.

It's a 'magical time of year' they say, when people are charitable, forgiving, and kind. A time when people display good will towards their fellow man. A time when people look each other in the eye and greet each other. But why does it only happen this time of year?  I think I know the answer.

Any other time of year, if I want to hear a positive song about Jesus, or God, I have to tune to the Christian radio stations. There are many movies about being positive, helpful, and kind. But those types of movies aren't always filling up my television channels. In the non-magical time of year, if a grouch came into town to try to ruin a celebration, there would not be a redemption story for him or her. The story's protagonist would overcome and succeed and that grouchy antagonist would be taken care of, and be taken out of the story, or painted as a loser and exiled. But during Christmastime, he or she is brought in, and saved from their grouchiness.

The evolution of Christmas is extremely interesting, and the History Channel does a fantastic job of explaining it. I highly suggest playing around on their website and learning about Christmas's origins. They even break it down to show the origins of each part of Christmas; the trees, carols, Rudolph, Santa, etc. Click Here--> History of Christmas <--to go to their site.

During Christmas, we honor St. Nicholas... good ol' Saint Nick. Nowadays, we have a very different idea of what he looks like, from what he would have actually looked like. He was a real dude. Saint Nicholas of Myra was a Christian monk who lived in the 3rd Century A.D. He is the patron saint of children, as well as sailors, wolves, pawnbrokers, and others. One of the many folk legends that surround him is that he donated money to a father who had been in such dire straits that he had had to sell his daughters into slavery. As years passed and the folk legends spread into Europe, his stories was twisted into more grandiose tales.  The language of the Netherlands turned his name to Sinterklaas, and his tale became one of a man, dressed in red clerics, who arrived every December 6th, to bring gifts or coal-lumps to children's homes.

December has always been a celebrated month, long before Mary, Jesus' mother, was ever a spark of a thought in her mothers' mind. The winter solstice was viewed as a celebration of death and rebirth, since the cold harsh winter weather kills off the crops and vegetation, but welcomes in the spring and the rebirth of life. After the shortest winter days, they celebrated the return of the Sun. As time passed and the Christian faith spread, Pope Julius I adopted December 25 as a Christian celebration in an attempt to adapt and sort of absorb the pagan celebrations. This was a way of increasing the popularity of the Christmas celebrations.

Christmas had fallen by the wayside, however, for many of the 17th and 18th century Americans. But it made a comeback in the 19th century when an author, Charles Dickens, wrote a book about the importance of charity and goodwill toward humankind called A Christmas Carol. The book gained in popularity and so did the holiday.

Speaking of carols, some of the songs that we sing today have been sung for centuries. The whole tradition really started with Latin hymns, which progressed to music for nativity plays, and continued on. Many carols are about winter, or secular themes, but there are a great number of carols that are centered around the story of Jesus. The truth can be said that all carols carry a message of positivity, hope, happiness, and love. And this is the time of year that these songs are played on the most popular radio stations, pumped through the stores P.A. systems, and featured in commercials and movies.

So, my unqualified opinion is that the magic of Christmas lies in the fact that this is the only time of year that America, as a whole, listens to songs about Jesus, and sings along.  This is the time of year that America, and the world, watch movies that remind us to be positive, kind, and generous. This is the time of year that the world is reminded continuously of a little baby boy was born, so that we could live an eternal life in heaven.

Could it be that Christmas is magical because of the spirit within us, comes to life, and our souls rejoice, as we unconsciously worship our Lord as we sing along to...Silent Night? O Holy Night? The First Noel? Do You Hear What I Hear? What Child Is This? Angels We Have Heard On High! Hark, The Harold Angels Sing!

What are your favorite Christmas traditions?

What about your favorite Christmas carol?

Do you have a favorite Christmas movie?