Thames Film

Directed by William Raban

This movie is an experimental documentary following the flow of the Thames out of London to the sea. It has a narration from John Hurt that takes the form of reading old manuscripts, books and news articles, and also a posthumous narration from poet TS Eliot reading from his own work, The Dry Salvages from the Four Quartets. Engravings, paintings, and archival film are juxtaposed against the contemporary footage, including Pieter Breughel the Elder's "The Triumph of Death" (c.1562) from the Prado Museum.