Of Time and the City

"A love song and a eulogy"

2008 1h 14m EN

👍

7.1

SOLID

★7.1TMDB · 40

Documentary

Synopsis

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British director Terence Davies reflects on his birthplace of Liverpool - his memories of growing up there and how it has changed in the years since - in the process meditating on the internal struggles and conflicts that have wracked him throughout his life and the history of England during the second half of the 20th century.

“A love song and a eulogy”

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Where to watch · US

Cast

Terence Davies
Self - Narrator (voice)

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Terence Davies
Writers: Terence Davies
Languages: English
Countries: United Kingdom

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 7

RUNTIME

Did you know

Tight 74-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 7

ERA

Did you know

Released 18 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 7

RUNTIME

Did you know

Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Liza Ryan-Carter shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 7

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "A love song and a eulogy".

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 7

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt1232790 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 7

WILD

Did you know

Only 40 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Terence Davies directs. Liza Ryan-Carter cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United Kingdom. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Tight 74-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.
2Released 18 years ago.
3Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
4Editor Liza Ryan-Carter shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
5Marketing tagline: "A love song and a eulogy".
6IMDB entry: tt1232790 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
7Only 40 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

The technical file

Editing: Liza Ryan-Carter
Runtime: 74 min · 1h 14m
Status: Released
Original language: EN
IMDB: Of Time and the City (2008)

Also by

Terence Davies

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Community reviews

What people are saying

CinemaSerf2024-05-02
★ 7/10
At times Terence Davies provides a really quite entertaining and insightful commentary here as he takes us through his reminiscences of growing up in the English city of Liverpool. Famed around the world for "The Beatles" it was also the home to many a famous bard, poet, songster, thespian and soap manufacturer. Using a plethora of archive material it illustrates just how this city was affected after the devastation of WWII followed by decades of stagnant, socialist-leaning, civic administration that presided over the relentless decline of a city that is populated by sparky and stoic individuals determined to keep a sense of humour, proportion and purpose even if their surroundings inspired little by way of hope. Many elements of this could just as easily apply to other industrial British cities like Glasgow or Sheffield, and the imagery of the ghastly urban architecture that saw a surfeit of grey and concrete monstrosities clutter up the landscape could probably be transplanted to any number of cities where buildings that were unfit for habitation were replaced by those that were ugly as sin but at least had water running where it was supposed to. The use of some rousing classical music can seem a little incongruous at times, and some of his narrative does rather stereotype the population and his perception of their views, priorities and attitudes but it's an interesting and engaging look at a city where optimism is only now starting to make it's presence felt.

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