The 24-minute film documents the nightly postal train operated by the London, Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS) from London to Glasgow and the staff who operate it. Down towards Glasgow she descends” (20:35). Ed. What happens during sleep paralysis. The film shows the postmen gathering and waiting with the local mails, accompanied by sync-sound from the events. But shall wake soon and long for letters. [18] Due to technological constraints, the majority of Night Mail was shot as a silent film with the sound, dialogue, and music added in post-production. … [49] Fulton believes the main theme of Night Mail is suggested by one of Auden's lines in the poem: "All Scotland waits for her". This effort at analysis and reflection is one of the ways the filmmakers work to evade pious sentimentality: indeed, the voiceover narration (masterfully spoken by Michel Bouquet) is delivered in a harsh, dry, astringent tone, filled with ironic shadings (though, according to the filmmaker himself, he asked Bouquet to deliver his lines in a “neutral tone”). According to documentary author Betsy McLane, Night Mail makes three primary arguments: First, the postal system is complex and must function under the auspices of a national government in order to thrive. [40] By 12 January 1936, the music had been written which was followed by the recording sessions that began on 15 January. The film contrasts the national importance of the postal system, embodied by a train journey which literally enables cross-country communication, with the local accents and colloquial behaviour of its staff, demonstrating that a great nation is composed of its humble and essential regions and peoples. [16] The GPO secured a £2,000 budget for the film's production,[9] and calculated staff travel allowances by the accounts department totalling the salaries of the crew involved and setting aside money based on the figure. The sequence is used to hit home the message of promoting the GPO and all of its workers and to highlight the importance of the communication systems the GPO provides. Jackson recalled there was not "a great deal" of synchronised sound filming while on location, barring some "fragments". The locomotive featured in the film is Royal Scot Class No. BBC Proms 2021: Live audience to sing Rule, Britannia! Ed. [33], Auden's poem for the sequence, entitled "Night Mail", was written at the film unit's main office in Soho Square. Auden made ends meet by living with Wright before moving in with fellow GPO employee, painter and teacher William Coldstream. [5] The cameramen continued into Scotland to film the closing shots at dawn, and Watt captured the partridges, rabbits, and dogs at a Dumfries farm. [clarification needed] Wright thought Jackson's voice was suitable for the part and suggested it to him. The night mail travels the whole night to bring mail; containing letters , postal , orders and cheques for the people living in different parts of the country. Find out about upcoming product launches and get a first look at Lauren’s latest collections. Jackson agreed, but disliked the sound of his voice upon playback: "My dulcet tones are immortalised in a few simple statements [...] I sounded like some Oxford pimp on the prowl, and never having been to Oxford, I should know". Mobile Apps. Night Mail, as with other GPO film unit film’s, had a dual purpose of explaining and promoting the activities of the GPO. Night Mail: by W.H.Auden: It is a simple poem composed by W.H.Auden . They adopted the term when the unit had missed a shot. The Trade Disputes and Trade Unions Act 1927 had seriously curtailed postal union power, and the Great Depression fostered a general mood of pessimism. [24] Once finished, the equipment was packed in time for arrival of the postal train bound for London. Narrated by John Grierson and Stuart Legg, the film ends with a "verse commentary"[1] written by W. H. Auden to score by composer Benjamin Britten. The film also works to promote national pride in general and pride for the GPO, which controlled much of England’s communication systems including the mail, and the telephone and telegram network (Jacobi). Feldman, Seth. documentary synonyms, documentary pronunciation, ... "they went to a movie every Saturday night"; "the film was shot on location" ... Mail; Open / Close. By showing that the Postal Special is responsible for the mails of “industrial England” and the mail of the common-people, from the rich and poor, local shops, and even “the girl next door” the film shows that the GPO unifies and democratizes the nation. [52], Night Mail’s significance is due to a combination of its aesthetic, commercial, and nostalgic success. [5] He was allowed an orchestra of ten musicians, and used a compressed air cylinder and sandpaper to create a "sound picture" of the pistons and pumps of a steam locomotive at speed. The technologically advanced rail system, nestled comfortably in the immutable landscape, demonstrates that modernity can be British. They were instructed to sway from side to side to recreate the motion of the moving train which was accomplished by following the movement of a suspended piece of string. The nightly run of the postal special train from London to Glasgow. 397-409. [19] The on screen individuals were real life postal employees, but their dialogue was originally written by Watt and Wright who gained inspiration from the conversations they overheard while observing them at work. [9], In 1986, fifty years after the release of the original film, English poet Blake Morrison was hired to write a poem for a sequel, Night Mail 2, which tells the story of the contemporary mail delivery system. First, Night Mail portrays the daily activities of the postal staff on a human scale, with colloquial speech and naturalistic vignettes, like sipping beer and sharing inside jokes. Just as the train is seen, we hear a voice start to recite W.H. Passing the shunter intent on its toil, moving the coke and the coal and the oil. Night Mail is a 1936 documentary film about a London, Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS) mail train from London to Scotland, produced by the GPO Film Unit. [15] The crew came into contact with the platelayers, catching them at work and stopping for an oncoming train which included them sharing cigarettes and beer. Night Mail (1936) was one of the most critically acclaimed films to be produced within the British documentary film movement. Grierson also articulated a desire to reflect "Scottish expression" and unity between England and Scotland with Night Mail. Jacobi, Derek. The film was directed by Harry Watt and Basil Wright and funded by the General Post Office film unit. Girders for bridges, plastic for fridges. Steal-works of Worthington… and the machine shops of Preston" (13:15). Night Mail is a diverse film which operates on many different levels. It seems the film was interested in focusing on positive aspects of the nation in order to raise moral and pride during times of financial hardship. Aitken, Ian. 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