FILM CLUB

Farnham U 3 A has set up a Film Club to present a themed programme of Films during the U 3 A year. The first theme is ' War Films' and we have chosen eight from the dozens available. We do not claim that we have selected the 'best' films, or even the most controversial ones but we have chosen films which illustrate important aspects of the genre and give an insight into how film -makers approach the subject of armed conflict. We have with one exception avoided recent films and concentrated on films which U 3 A members are likely to remember and which remain impressive for a variety of reasons.

The eight films this season ( shown monthly ) are: All Quiet on the Western Front; Paths of Glory; The Cruel Sea; Henry V; The Desert Fox; Days of Glory; The Longest Day and Mash..The variety proved to be one of the strengths of the season. All Quiet... is still a powerful film despite being over 70 years old. The Cruel Sea would be a hit if it was released today (And it was fascinating to see that Donald Sinden was once a good actor.) Days of Glory, by far the most recent of the Films (released in 2006) was about Algerians fighting for the French in the second world war. It showed, as did other films, that the real enemy was not always the official one.

We have chosen 'Westerns' for the 2009-10 season and are currently (April 2009) constructing a shortlist of films to be shown. If the approach continues to work we we will move on to 'European' films, film noir, crime, etc..

RT

The theme for the 2010-11 season is "Crime and film noir". Suggested films are The Third Man, Topkapi, Point Blank, Chinatown and The Big Sleep. (Webmaster)

Do join us in 2010-11