Summary: C Day Lewis gives a short account of the life of the First World War poet Wilfred Owen.
Description: Details of Owen's early years, middle-class family background, childhood in Birkenhead, and bookishness. First employment, as vicar's assistant in Oxfordshire - his "passionate indignation" at conditions in rural slums. Later, teaching in France, witnessed horrors of French wartime hospital. Returned to England in l915 to enlist, sent back to France l917 - matured as war poet in the trenches. Invalided with battle fatigue, met Siegfried Sassoon, returned to front. Killed in action 1918, one week before the Armistice. Accompanying Lewis's narrative are readings from Owen's verse - including "Anthem For Doomed Youth", "Spring Offensive", "The Send-Off", "Exposure", "The Show", "Futility", "Dulce et Decorum Est" (extract) and "Disabled" - and letters. The film is illustrated by photographs of Owen and his family, contemporary stills and occasional dramatised footage (eg scenes of man in wheelchair accompanying the reading of "Disabled").
Alternative Title:CONTRASTS [Series Title]
Colour:B&W
Digitised:
Object_Number:IWM 1096
Sound:Sound
Access Conditions:NON-IWM: PROJECTION PRINT ONLY - NOT FOR PRODUCTION USE
Featured Period:1919-1938
Production Date:1964-08-04
Production Country: GB
Production Details: BBC (Production company)
Bond, Jack (Production individual)
Bilton, Kenneth (Production individual)
Caravel Films (Production individual)
Taylor, Tom (Production individual)
Lewis, C Day (Production cast)
Dobie, Alan (Production cast)
Wyngarde, Peter (Production cast)
Barron, Keith (Production cast)
Personalities, Units and Organisations: Owen, Wilfred Edward Salter (person)
Day Lewis, Cecil (person)
Keywords:
Physical Characteristics: Colour format: B&W
Sound format: Sound
Soundtrack language: English
Title language: English
Subtitle language: None
Technical Details: Format: 16mm
Number of items/reels/tapes: 1
Footage: 777 ft; Running time: 21 mins
