Think of England: Raindance Film Review
Lie back and think of England is a renowned phrase that many will be familiar with as the advice given to future brides for the consummation of their marriages. It is a phrase that some of the characters within this mise-en-abyme maybe adopted to get into the spirit of things once they have been enlisted to provide morale to the fighting troops via the creation of a propaganda pornographic film. The premise already sounds intriguing as there is the involvement of a film for each of the services – one for the army, one for the navy and one for the air force. To achieve this, a disparate bunch of people are brought together in a remote location to complete this film, come what may! Think of England is a twisty, darkly humorous tale producing a new form of leading lady in Holly played by Natalie Quarry, effortlessly exuding that star quality, whilst also examining the psychology in effect in the minds of citizens during wartime Britain.
Set on the Orkney Islands in the 1940s, the film equally explores the natural wildness of the location. The characters are isolated from any other social settings and interactions to focus on the task at hand and this is where the film shines. Each character has their own motivations for being involved, with a stark reminder occasionally of their having signed the Official Secrets Act. Amongst them, are an actor and director’s dreams of being taken seriously in their respective fields with Hollywood beckoning, perhaps, if they play their cards right. Whereas for others – being part of the propaganda film is a means to an end to avoid the wartime realities or to right past wrongs.
From the outset, Think of England does not shy away from the precariousness of the situation. The instructions barked out by Captain Clune (John McCrea) are clear that this film is designed to shock and titillate but the surprising revelations are the emotional upheaval in the process for the fictional cast and crew! Step by step, director Richard Hawkins ramps up the personal stakes and inadvertently the psychological damage, from being on the front line, manifests itself with a simmering tension lingering. Former golden boy, movie star Tyrone Higgs (Jack Bandeira) stars against Holly and is a former
From the outset, Think of England does not shy away from the precariousness of the situation. The instructions barked out by Captain Clune (John McCrea) are clear that this film is designed to shock and titillate but the surprising revelations are the emotional upheaval in the process for the fictional cast and crew! Step by step, director Richard Hawkins ramps up the personal stakes and inadvertently the psychological damage, from being on the front line, manifests itself with a simmering tension lingering. Former golden boy, movie star Tyrone Higgs (Jack Bandeira) stars against Holly and is a former soldier and loose cannon. His penchant for wandering off AWOL, appreciating a wildness both in himself and the surrounding cliffs, threatens to derail the entire film production, thus amplifying an already intense scenario for the audience! and loose cannon. His penchant for wandering off AWOL, appreciating a wildness both in himself and the surrounding cliffs, threatens to derail the entire film production, thus amplifying an already intense scenario for the audience!
Tyrone’s unpredictability introduces a hint of violence, which creates an intriguing parallel to reports of sexist working conditions on modern day film sets. The German film director (Ben Bela Böhm) is equally as culpable in coercing the actors to take those steps beyond their boundaries to achieve his perfect vision for the propaganda. There are uncomfortable viewing moments for both the film’s audience and those actors within the mise-en-abyme. Hawkins, during the Raindance film festival, alluded to three minutes of the film being edited from the final festival cut! One cannot help but wonder just how extreme those edited moments may have been.
Think of England achieves its goal to discombobulate, but it is riveting in its approach! Plus, the emphasis on the behind the scenes filming process undertaken in the 1940s is fascinating to watch. Aside from questionable acting lessons in seducing the camera with words, there are practical effects illustrating a bygone era. The camera angles, at times, focus on the director with one eye behind a physical camera with film rolls. Again, a sense of unease creeps in, that borderline between harassment and acting work is subtly crossed, and the director sometimes leaves the camera rolling a tad too long! Such scenes may be triggering in their exploration of being subject to the extremities of some director’s and lead actor’s whims, which brought to mind the reports of the nefarious onset behaviours from the filming of Last Tango in Paris. Nowadays, there are intimacy coordinators on set, fortunately, to avoid such practices!
Both a wartime homage and a love letter to cinematography, Think of England excels in keeping the audience guessing about the film’s outcome until the very end.
Loosely based on true events, this thought-provoking drama questions the unusual practices undertaken during wartime under the auspices of acting for the country. An unpredictable journey with dark humour and consequences, Think of England will compellingly pierce through that nostalgia tinged veil occupied by period dramas to unveil the mystery and monsters that lay beneath.
