Comparison of London can take it & Listen to Britain

These two documentaries were made in 1942. They're both propaganda short films with different target audiences. London can take it is targeted at American as well as British audiences. America is a targeted nation to show that despite the constant attacks from Germany, every day life was still pretty much the same. The documentary starts off in the late hours of the evening and goes through the night whilst showing different parts of the city. This is happening as the explosions are heard in the background and the reporter, Quentin Reynolds, actually says 'These are not Hollywood sound effects'. He is reiterating the reality if the situation to the Americans. The documentary ends in the hours if the morning just as the sun rises to show that it is yet another day. Another quote from the reporter is 'London picks herself up'. This is the upward trajectory in which the documentary is presented. However, the voice over from Quentin Reynolds is unexciting, boring and unemotional. This is a performance from him because he conveys the everyday persistent nature of the experience. It is an act of stoicism.

On the other hand Listen to Britain is quite different. Although it is filmed in the same year, it depicts a day during the blitz and shows how unconcerned the people of Britain are. What makes this documentary different is that there is no voice over but rather a sound collage. Throughout the short film we get diegetic sounds either from the concerts or radio etc. The structure is non linear and the use of sound is unusual. Listen to Britain portrays the national pride of the people and even without words, Humphrey Jennings, the director made this very clear and understandable.

Another point about Listen to Britain is that it gives the impression of different cultural values. During one of the musical performances you have Myra Hess playing the piano. Furthermore, on the radio, you hear various languages being spoken on the London Calling section. This is surprising in a British documentary but it shows The BBC World Service spreads its message around the globe.