My Childhood is literally that, Bill Douglas' description of his young life as a poor, parentless child cared for by a grandmother dying of dementia and a brother struggling with anger and jealousy, all under the fear of a German attack. It is part of a series of films Douglas did on the subject that views different parts of his life with different styles. In this segment, we're in British kitchen sink realism territory, with grainy black and white photography, unerring eye towards poverty, and struggling self-repressed characters.
In this chapter we meet his and his brother's father (though it's not entirely certain that they really are), his dying mother, his dying grandmother and his dying countryside. Yes, it is a very dark and despairing movie, particularly since it doesn't have very many moments of happiness and those that are are quickly and brutally cut short. You do get his relationship with Gunther, a German POW, as he tries to teach Gunther English and the two find an escape in each other's companionship. However, Gunther ultimate is taken away and Bill finds himself unable to find any other outlet. Eventually there's somewhat an element of hope as he runs away.
I have not yet seen any of the other sections of this story, so thus far I can only take it as a singular work. It has a short and minimalist story arc that only really works as autobiography because it's not entirely clear why the movie starts where it does (though it's a little more clear why it ends when it does), and it feels like it could have started or ended at any time--which, it probably could. As far as the style is concerned, it's probably one of the most unerring and least political approach to that sort of filmmaking, though honestly there are much better realist and especially kitchen sink realist movies out there. It almost feels like too much, and though the movie doesn't deal with Catholicism, I felt a strong Catholic perspective in Bill Douglas' approach which I later confirmed with research into his biography. You're in regret and grief land, tempered all the more bare due to the children actors and the raging sirens of bomb alerts in the landscape.
Probably its best moment is when his brother, after killing Bill's cat in revenge for the cat killing the brother's bird, runs to the train and bathes in its steam as it passes under a bridge. In this and the ending moment, it is clear that the train represents transcendence for the children, though the movie is so short and sparse it doesn't really take that idea further, which is sort of unfortunate.
--PolarisDiB
In this chapter we meet his and his brother's father (though it's not entirely certain that they really are), his dying mother, his dying grandmother and his dying countryside. Yes, it is a very dark and despairing movie, particularly since it doesn't have very many moments of happiness and those that are are quickly and brutally cut short. You do get his relationship with Gunther, a German POW, as he tries to teach Gunther English and the two find an escape in each other's companionship. However, Gunther ultimate is taken away and Bill finds himself unable to find any other outlet. Eventually there's somewhat an element of hope as he runs away.
I have not yet seen any of the other sections of this story, so thus far I can only take it as a singular work. It has a short and minimalist story arc that only really works as autobiography because it's not entirely clear why the movie starts where it does (though it's a little more clear why it ends when it does), and it feels like it could have started or ended at any time--which, it probably could. As far as the style is concerned, it's probably one of the most unerring and least political approach to that sort of filmmaking, though honestly there are much better realist and especially kitchen sink realist movies out there. It almost feels like too much, and though the movie doesn't deal with Catholicism, I felt a strong Catholic perspective in Bill Douglas' approach which I later confirmed with research into his biography. You're in regret and grief land, tempered all the more bare due to the children actors and the raging sirens of bomb alerts in the landscape.
Probably its best moment is when his brother, after killing Bill's cat in revenge for the cat killing the brother's bird, runs to the train and bathes in its steam as it passes under a bridge. In this and the ending moment, it is clear that the train represents transcendence for the children, though the movie is so short and sparse it doesn't really take that idea further, which is sort of unfortunate.
--PolarisDiB