An interesting and original film, Handsworth Songs is an unconventional collage of news reports, eyewitness footage, interviews and abstract imagery. The whole film plays out as a dreamy rush of imagery and sounds: considerable credit should be given to the range of footage employed and juxtaposed against suitably atmospheric music. Closer to documentary or verite, the film traces memories of immigration to Britain in the early 50's through archive footage and brings us into the present day with footage shot by the Black Audio Film Collective. A serious, very watchable, artistic examination of the causes, effects and aftermath of the riots in Birmingham in the early 80's, Handsworth songs is abstract without resorting to inarticulacy.
2 Reviews
This is how you edit
TheCorniestLemur4 December 2021
Didn't really know what to expect from this, but damn it was strange. It was unconventional, it was angry, and it was brilliant. And if you somehow need more convincing that police (at least in the western world) are massive bigots, then this is one of the first things I'd recommend.
This film probably has the best and most imposing soundtrack I've ever heard in a documentary, to the extent that I don't think I would have been anywhere near as in love with it if it wasn't so creepy and intimidating. It's one of those things that shouldn't work, but does.
For a film that's only an hour long, there's also so many interesting editing choices, and the story it tells through the footage shown, people interviewed, and voiceovers is really eye-opening. And I don't think you can really ask much more from a documentary than that.
Well okay, maybe I could have asked for it to be a little less repetitive, but I do think that was at least partially the point: to get a lot of differing views on the events it shows. And personally, I would have asked for subtitles on some of the interviewees with stronger accents, but you could certainly argue that this is a film solely intended for the UK black community, so I wouldn't feel comfortable pointing that out as a legitimate flaw.
So I guess I can't find any flaws in this? Huh, who'd a thought? Not me for one, I didn't even know what we were watching today when I went to my lecture. But I'm certainly glad I did.
This film probably has the best and most imposing soundtrack I've ever heard in a documentary, to the extent that I don't think I would have been anywhere near as in love with it if it wasn't so creepy and intimidating. It's one of those things that shouldn't work, but does.
For a film that's only an hour long, there's also so many interesting editing choices, and the story it tells through the footage shown, people interviewed, and voiceovers is really eye-opening. And I don't think you can really ask much more from a documentary than that.
Well okay, maybe I could have asked for it to be a little less repetitive, but I do think that was at least partially the point: to get a lot of differing views on the events it shows. And personally, I would have asked for subtitles on some of the interviewees with stronger accents, but you could certainly argue that this is a film solely intended for the UK black community, so I wouldn't feel comfortable pointing that out as a legitimate flaw.
So I guess I can't find any flaws in this? Huh, who'd a thought? Not me for one, I didn't even know what we were watching today when I went to my lecture. But I'm certainly glad I did.
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