Benjamin Britten: Peace and Conflict (2013) Reviews

• A result of a school encouraging free thinking

  OJT2014-12-30

  Partly documentary, partly dramatization, this film tells the story about acclaimed musician, composer and director Benjamin Britten, from his younger years at a conservative, yet compared to others, very liberal boarding school where he was very much encouraged to go his own ways. The Gresham school produced many radical students from liberal upbringing, many to become communists. The film is also scattered with excerpts of performances of his music, so this is very much a cross-over production. It's done well by relative Tony Britten, but without doubt the dramatizations are more interesting, where he as young is portrayed very well by Alex Lawther, which later has been receiving acclaim for his role as young Alan Turing in the acclaimed "The imitation game". Narration is distinctively done by John Hurt, and Lawther also reads from his many letters and diary along the way. We'll learn much about his thoughts and believes, from politics, to animal rights and interests. Like most British productions, it's quality all the way through. Very serious in it's approach, many will fall off during the film, if shown on TV, especially for those not so interested in his music, when the small excerpts of music is played. But the film has much also to offer those with political interest.

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