A Sense of Community in Went the Day Well and Passport to Pimlico

A Sense of Community in Went the Day Well and Passport to Pimlico

Throughout Went the Day Well and Passport to Pimlico, both films

present different communities and the ways in which they come together

through crises affecting their lives.

In WTDW, the opening sequence presents a clear sense of national

identity. The tracking shot and the close-up of the sign saying

“Bramley End ¼ miles” combined with the use of bird-song and patriotic

marching music signifies a peaceful and tranquil area to be entering.

When meeting the first character, the country farmer, we are directly

addressed, giving a feeling of approachability within the community.

The shot of the farmer is a mid-shot on eye-level which emphasizes the

feeling of being directly spoken to and make him feel ‘less of a

threat’.

The setting of the film is firstly of a country road and a quite,

sleepy country village. The focus on the Christian church allows the

audience to think of the community as trustworthy, religious and

likeable. The area, as it is idyllic and untouched, gives a quality to

it that allows the audience to think it is worth saving through the

war.

On the arrival of the soldiers in the second key sequence, the Germans

are viewed in long shots, giving the feeling of distance compared to

the close-up shots in which we view Peggy and Tom frequently. Some

shots of the soldiers are viewed through doors or windows, giving the

feeling of conspiracy and suspicion from the point of view of the

villagers. The scene with the friendly, chirpy police-officer at the

door is a good reference to class and social hierarchy in this film.

There is a strong contrast be...

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...y roast, whilst attending to

her children, showing the Germans have no morals and no consideration

for others. When all being packed into the church, we see how the

wedding of Tom and Peggy is interrupted. Because we have grown

affection for these two characters throughout the film, we now have

even more sympathy for the villagers and how their worlds have

individually been upturned by these intruders.

In conclusion to the way in which the film-makers of these films have

presented as sense of national identity and community through sound

and image, Cavalcanti (WTDW) and Cornelius (PTP) have used the basic

idea that in times of need everyone works together in order to create

a peaceful atmosphere in their own communities, whether it be through

fighting back physically, or just standing up for what they believe

in.