War Requiem

Jarman’s movingly innovative vision of the challenging choral work by Benjamin Britten remains one of his most intriguing and ambitious works. Britten’s lyrical and religious reflection on the losses of war as filtered through the poetry of Wilfred Owen is here delivered complete in Jarman’s fragmented narrative response. He threads images of the poet with potent footage of various conflicts and a silent-movie strand featuring exemplary performances by Swinton and others. While a work of mourning, it is one in which a love of life and an attention to what matters shine through most strongly.

* Please note that there is a repeat screening of the film on Monday 22 September at 10.30am.