Four People: A Ballad Film. Guy Brenton, 1962.
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Edition screened: Included in the BFI 4-DVD set Shadows of Progress: Documentary Film in Post-War Britain 1951-1977, released 2013. English language. Runtime approximately 44 minutes.
Summary: No depictions of violence or harm to animals.
This film tells the stories of four people working to overcome polio. It is captivating in several way, not the least of which is the bravery and individual triumphs of the polio victims captured on film. Documentation of an early 1960s London hospital also is interesting, back in a time when hospitals were, or at least could be, comparatively pleasant and homey with cute curtains and domestic-looking furniture.
But most astounding, almost unbelievable, are the long segments of vocal music performed by Peggy Seeger and Ewan MacColl. This recurring song is a Gilligan’s Island-style narrative, duplicating exactly what is shown on screen . . So in this case it narrates what the polio victim is feeling, seeing, and thinking during the attacks, at the hospital, and during recovery. All in raucous Folk Revival style. Really trippy.