|
This is Shell (1970) marks one of director Geoffrey Jones' most impressive achievements, ranking alongside his revered British Transport Films titles Snow (1960), Rail (1967) and Locomotion (1975).
With all of these films, Jones dispenses completely with words, letting his
unique marriage of image and music provide the commentary.
According to Jones, the assignment for This is Shell was to
show, quite literally, everything Shell did, and how all these processes from
around the world would benefit the consumer. This was no small task, but Jones
met the challenge by breaking the film into a series of movements, pairing each
of these film sequences with its own signature musical accompaniment.
This is Shell begins with the throbbing pulse of churning
machines and the sound of tribal drums. Oil tanks and tubing are cut to the
clacking of reel-to-reel machines, the tempo increasing with aerial shots of the
zig-zagging oil pipe's journey through the jungle. An optical wipe introduces
the second section, also accompanied by drums but this time at a beating-heart
tempo. A massive oil drill is plunged deeply into the sea, with men on tankers
working furiously to maintain control. The third section is accompanied by a
simple but melancholy guitar strumming, while aerial shots reveal the awesome
power of these oil plants as the camera circles them from a great height. The
fourth and final section moves from the massive to the miniature, as scientists
and technicians use these natural resources to make Shell products for the world
we live in. Skyline views of New York and London are paired with quick shots of
cars, trains, planes, even a Concorde. The film ends with the simplest and most
familiar way Shell is represented to us all, the petrol tank.
James White *This film is included in the BFI DVD compilation 'Geoffrey Jones: The Rhythm of Film'.
|
Complete film (7:03)
