Terminus (1961)

Overview: This fly on the wall-style documentary from 1961 won an Oscar for best documentary and shows the changing patterns of human emotions during 24 hours in the life of Waterloo Station.

Director: John Schlesinger

Cast: Peggy Ashcroft, Gertrude Dickin, Margaret Lacey, Matthew Perry, John Schlesinger

Original Language: EN

Original Title: Terminus

Budget: N/A

Revenue: N/A

MPAA Rating: PG

Keywords:

CinemaSerf (February 7, 2024)

Well it's a very brave beekeeper who opens this documentary about an hectic twenty-four hours at London's Waterloo station, to the south of the Thames. These bees, however, are quite symbolic of what we see for the next half hour as the station manager checks in at the start of the morning rush hour. What's curious to note here is just how diverse those travelling passengers are. From the successful businessman buying his buttonhole upon arrival to those coming from further afield or destined for outward journeys - including the boat train to connect with the Queen Elizabeth in Southampton. There's even a few detained during Her Majesty's Pleasure! It's buzzing. Constant movement, chatter, a fellow with a seriously annoying laugh, rushing about - the general sense of all kinds of humanity in one place is well captured in this engaging fly-on-various-walls presentation. The logistics of keeping these steam trains running, of the manual signal operations, a constantly busy enquiry and lost property office and the meticulous planning of a staff who can keep trains moving to a schedule that would be nigh-on impossible to re-set should the momentum is lost is also well featured in this narration-free real life drama. Hats! Maybe it's a generational thing, but almost everyone wears an hat. If only onboard catering was this good nowadays, and I wonder if there is still a train to Clapham Junction every four minutes! Anyone need a brolly?