Fires Were Started

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Leaburn O It's just a propaganda film about WW2 Blitz firefighters. On the BFI Top 100 films list so I sought it out but other than as a historical piece, it is of no value. I couldn't find a version anywhere so I bought it on DVD for quite a lot but it has five other short documentaries from Humphrey Jennings on it so I'll also give those a watch. Rated 2.5/5 Stars •  Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 08/11/23 Full Review William L As a drama, the film is painfully bad; the use of real firefighters may have added to the reality of the documentary elements, but it did the film no favors in its delivery. The greatest success is found in the incorporation of practical footage and real renditions of the Blitz, which form an interesting historical record; I would have been far more engaged in a film that was essentially an extended newsreel with minor narration than the halfhearted attempt to create a camaraderie-fueled backstory that presented good ol' chaps singing around a piano one minute and fighting a blaze for King and country the next. Understanding the motivations behind creating something that would have gained traction at the time of production goes a long way to understanding why Fires Were Started is the way it is, but the incredibly high quality of the practical effects (since Jennings could take advantage of London during the actual Blitz) fail to compensate for a terrible attempt at actual drama. Useful as a portrait of London during the war and domestic efforts to preserve it, and not terribly much else. (2/5) Rated 2/5 Stars •  Rated 2 out of 5 stars 12/01/20 Full Review s r 1001 movies to see before you die. It was made to depict those that fight the fires during the WW2 bombings of England. It was simple, but proper English. Rated 2.5/5 Stars •  Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member The firefighting sequences are pretty nifty. The rest is just OK, at best. Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/16/23 Full Review simon d Due to the bad sound most of the spoken parts are almost impossible to hear, especially when the background music is playing. The story is very basic and, to be honest, boring. The scenes of a bombed out London look real and I suppose they problably are which is a bit interesting but I'm afraid this film is nothing more than a long wartime advert for the fire brigade. Rated 1/5 Stars •  Rated 1 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member Film om brandkÃ¥ren i London inspelad under kriget. LÃ¥ter spännande men det börjar aningen segt. Gisssar att det är karaktärsbyggande dÃ¥ vi ser brandsoldaterna feja pÃ¥ brandbilar, käka lunch, spela biljard och sjunga runt pianot. Det blir dock ganska dramatiskt när väl bombena börjar falla och bränderna börjar. Känns ganska dokumentär och vetskapen om att den spelades in mitt under brinnande krig gör att den fÃ¥r en extra dimension. Halvinterssant mao. Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/29/23 Full Review Read all reviews

Fires Were Started

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