The Fifteen Streets

The Fifteen Streets – This is a magnificent piece of work. It’s human. It’s happy. It’s sad. It’s tragic. It’s an improbable love story set in the grim world of the Newcastle England docks around the turn of the twentieth century. I’m not familiar with the author of the book. But I recognize dedicated, creative film work. We have plenty of that here! This is a film made by people who love making movies. It shows in every frame. The characters are strong and they’re real. The grim atmosphere of the brick and concrete tenement district has been caught accurately, both its human and inhuman dimensions. Yet there are many warm and charming scenes among those that are bleak or tragic. The subdued colour, the rain and the snow at times, probably are more effective than black and white would have been. I would have given it a 10 save for two things. The ending is a little silly. And, surprising in a film which is is so historically accurate, one of the shots at the dock shows a modern overhead crane. But it’s a keeper and one of those stimulating films that trigger interesting discussions and arguments.