Of Time and the City

“Of Time and The City” is both a love song and a eulogy to the director’s birthplace of Liverpool, England. It is also a response to memory, reflection and the experience of losing a sense of place as the skyline changes and time takes it toll. The visual content of the film consists largely of archival clips of Liverpool from the 1940s to the 1960s, their nostalgic charm darkened by accompanying music and by the counterpoint of Davies’ dry, at times dyspeptic, voice-over narration. His voice thickens with emotion as he recalls the delights of juvenile movie-going or the ritual of a holiday trip to New Brighton, across the River Mersey, and hardens with contempt when he turns his gaze on the hoopla surrounding Queen Elizabeth’s coronation in 1953.