Out of the Darkness, Light (the final 'Mining Review') (1983)

For more information on 'King Coal', a major exploration of Britain's coal mining industry as seen on film, visit http://www.bfi.org.uk/coal.html

The opening suggests nothing less than a Twilight of the Gods. What follows is the last-ever 'Mining Review' (over 400 were made in total). Narrated by Francis Gysin (long-time head of the National Coal Board Film Unit), it's laced with melancholy, yet utterly free of self-pity.

Many virtues of Gysin's unit are aptly present and correct. Points are visually communicated with remarkable economy, sometimes by a single expertly-chosen shot. The enigmatic merry-go-round logic of the coal industry's fluctuations is delineated with a clarity few economists could muster. Attacks on rival industries and capricious governments are joltingly forthright. And the determinedly upbeat diagnosis of the future is loyal indeed, given the NCB's cost-cutting closure of its films department.

So 'Mining Review' exited with dignity. And dusk came anyway, anything but gently. The industry's Götterdämmerung descended the following year. (Patrick Russell)

You can watch over 1500 other complete films and TV programmes from the BFI National Archive free of charge in the Mediatheque at BFI Southbank, London and at the new QUAD centre for art and film in Derby - http://www.bfi.org.uk/mediatheque http://www.derbyquad.co.uk/bfi-mediatheque

Category:

Film & Animation

Tags:

• BFI
• NCB
• coal
• mining
• miners
• review
• national
• board
• strike
• industry
• British
• Film
• Institute

[RobinCarmody]

An astonishing, lacerating experience, as emotionally powerful even as the last few British Transport Films (which itself is saying almost everything).

It makes me feel more than ever that we were in fact sorting it out in 1978, just getting it right, just poised for a new era of *shared* prosperity ... and then it was all taken from us out of spite and sheer bad luck and bad timing.

This coincided with 'Thriller'. And how I wish this, rather than worship of *him*, had been the future.

[nasilemak2008]

Destroyed by the greedy Tory government you mean?

[The123miner]

@martianboy99 The colliery shown is the National Colliery Wattstown in the Rhondda

[Fensmiller]

When they shut our pit there was an estimated 300yrs of gettable coal. Yep 300yrs. Now we rely on the Frogs for elecrticity and the Russians for gas.

We used to supply the world with ships cars motorbikes railways and heavy engineering all made from British iron and steel and powered by British coal. Now we have nowt. No wonder the country is skint, we have to buy eveything from abroad. Thanks Mrs Thatcher

[stepheng1483]

If our power stations burned 100% British coal, like they obviously should do, we could still have some type of mining industry. We need to stop allowing traitors to lead our country.

[worksoplads]

you stupid cunt when the countrys offering us cheap coal were 75% subsidised and the british mines had to compete without any at all how the fuck did we stand a chance to compete oh and i suppose dennis thatcher was a major shareholder in foriegn coal was just a coincidence was it do not talkk about stuff you know nothing about you smarmy twat

[stemajad]

Thatcher through her twisted values saw fit to destroy an industry without considering future needs and demands that will need to be met to ensure that we has a country remain independent ,alas it is now to late and sure enough in the coming years we will be held to ransom by our overseas suppliers of fossil fuel that will be needed regardless of the nuclear factor to maintain our infrastructure.Rest assured there are troubled times ahead.seems all our governments to date self destruct.

[stemajad]

it had everything to do with an over zealous bitch called thatcher who saw fit to decimate the working class through nothing other than a single mindedness to put the miners on the scrapheap regardless of the long term economic losses inflicted on this country ,in the coming years her actions will be deeply regretted has we are subjected to ever increasing costs from other countries for our fuel supplies.Pits will have to be re opened in the future of that i am certain.But will we have the men?

[3NUNS]

there is something beautiful in a seam of coal or a block of coal with its cleat and the various bands high-reflective and not so high-reflective ; and, there is something beautiful in music of von Beetheven ...

[autofive]

Tosser

[modemeyes]

I lived through all this economic upheaval and hardly recall the mines closing under Thatcher. Mind you I pissed at the time...