David Challinor

I really loved Terence Davies’ Distant Voices Still Lives when I saw it on its release in 1988.
Four years earlier, after I boozy night while at college, I stumbled upon his rarely seen b&w earlier effort on Channel 4, The Terence Davies Trilogy. Although I’d had a few I scrambled for a blank videotape and recorded the final part of it, Death and Transfiguration and spent the last 18 months of my course (English & Media) trying to recreate some of his techniques for a final-year Super 8 film (anyone want to know the difficulties of getting hold of b&w Super 8 film in 1985!). Anyone who’s seen Trilogy, particularly those with an art-house cinema leaning, will not forget it, especially Wilfred Bramble’s memorable final film appearance. ….
But onto Distant Voices – in short, I was staggered by its humanity, its virtuoso editing and unique style. Put very briefly, because my family come from the Wirral (near the film’s Liverpool setting) and I grew up there, spent many hours of my childhood listening to my mum and the rest of my older family members relating pre-post- and war-time memories it felt, put simply and vividly, like I was watching my own cultural heritage up there on screen (though not the violent father I hasten to add). The sequence of the Christmas carol is one of the most beautiful cinema moments ever.
Although The Long Day Closes couldn’t repeat the magic, Trilogy and Distant Voices are major works…. Distant Voices it remains almost an all-time favourite with me – second only to my favourite film, The Elephant Man (can anyone guess the link between them!) – and I wish Terence Davies’ latest offering, Of Time and the City, which has drawn applause at Cannes, a successful run.
What do other members think of his films?

Dr Amicus

I'm a big Terence Davies fan - but my favourite of his films remains The Long Day Closes. We showed this the other day at our local film society, and it went down a treat. I could only stay for the first few minutes, but the opening tracking shot in the street with Stardust playing on the soundtrack - absolutely wonderful.

Actually we had hoped to bring the great man over - but of course he was busy with Of Time and The City at Cannes. Oh well, our loss but everyone else's gain.

Sky Arts recently showed HD versions of both Distant Voices and the Trilogy - and they looked stunning. Hopefully Blu Rays of both might emerge from the BFI sometime, but the former is already available on an apparently fine DVD, and the latter comes out next month. Now all we need is a DVD of the flawed but interesting Neon Bible...