Bedknobs and Broomsticks has always been a favorite movie of mine. If you are one of the unfortunate souls who have never that Disney classic it is about 3 London children that come to live with Angela Lansbury, who is really a witch (well in training), after they are evacuated from London. When her teacher stops the lessons (via letter correspondence) she goes to London (on a bed controlled by the bedknob-which the kids readily except as a norm of transportation-after all they are not in the "Age of Not Believing") and find him. There the kids end up on Portobello Road ("street where the riches of ages are stowed") and are entertained by dancing soldiers from each of the Empire's colonies: Indians, Scotts, Irish, Africans, the list goes on. Finally, they find the professor who has been living in an abandoned mansion because an unexploded bomb is in the front yard. It turns out she is in search of one spell, but he can not give it to her because the book he gets the teachings from is torn up. So, they travel to a cartoon world (bobbing along, sing a song, on the bottom of the beautiful brimy sea) and retrieve the spell (yeah that's where the Disney influence/travesty comes into play). Well they don't get it, but low and behold Paul has known it the whole time! Oh the morals we learn. It turns out the spell is Substitutiary Locomotion. That is when a witch can make things move (an Imperius Curse for the WWII witch). So, she charms the local armor kept in the museum and they attack as the Germans storm what appears to be the White Cliffs of Dover. SPOILER: Everyone helps out, everyone gets adopted, everyone's flaws are fixed by the end. LOVE IT.
Well, I wasn't just writing a movie review. I can not believe how much this movie relates to what I am studying and learning. Overlook that my courses only cover through The Great War, it really does all relate. In the Imperial War Museum we learned about the children being evacuated from London. We saw creepy signs where a mother was tempted to bring her kids back from the countryside, but Hitler was behind her whispering "Yes, bring them back to London. It's safe." The kids in the movie arrive with tags on their person, so they don't get lost, they are also orphans to add to the depressing nature of the beginning, their aunt "arrived home just as one of the bomb's did." The opening shot of the movie has a working class chap painting over the road signs and refusing to help a British officer because he "might be a Nazis." This was another propaganda poster we have seen a lot. "Be like Dad, Keep Mum". The government really did have a fear of German infiltration into British society and national secrets being leaked via the common man, or usually woman. The advantage of Imperialism was great in WWI and II. In the movie it kept the kids entertained for hours, but in real life the sacrifice these nations made were enormous. All of the memorials, cemeteries, and honorariums Canada, Newfoundland, Australia, India, and African nations are some of the most represented listed. They fought and most died for the Mother Country. The soldiers "of the old home guard", retired WWI soldiers, that protect the town epitomize the now realization of how unprepared we all were for WWI. At the start of the war some men had swords. There were cavalry charges. Canons were used. The old soldiers march into town carrying spades pitchforks. While this is a dramatization, it was not far from the truth. Also, my second class is about the new obsession with the Medieval Age. Although, the movie is not in the Victorian period the opening credits depict knights and ladies, and it is enchanted medieval armor that wins the battle. It all connects, the magic of Disney. When I was little I loved the light up bedknob little did I know it was a study into British culture and politics of the early 20th century. Who knows what I could find from Aladdin? (MG has already pointed out to be that Jasmine lives in the Taj Mahal)
And on a completely unrelated note...not academic at all....totally petty..... my group of friends has some haters on our case. Saturday night we went to a pub. We decided to sit at a nice table in the corner across the way from some other BSAO students, I sat in the window facing them, and quickly noticed they were laughing and pointing at us. I started to get paranoid so I pointed it out to the other 5 girls sitting at our table. They noticed too as the other table was pointing, laughing, whispering, and giving us the evil eye. Well, when the table of assistants (older students that have done the program before that are in charge of everything) noticed they asked us what was happening. When we explained one of them went over to say hey and the local said "oh is she mean too?" they replied no and the helper reminded them it was a small pub and people could hear them to which they replied "omg they could hear-ah?" Like our shocked glances and astounded eyes didn't give it away. Well...the story is not over. It gets more upsetting. Today at coffee when Madison asked to borrow an unused stool from their table one of the pub girls goes "its not being used....yet". AND THEN to put the whole thing on a 6th grade level they took our seat at lecture! Yep where have sat everyday for the past 4 weeks to hear a seminar on whatever that day's topic is (today Darwin-Happy 150 years of the origin of Species!-the "debate" took place right across the street from our college) there they were! That took planning! I can not think what we have done. Honestly. I know I am not always the nicest person, or that I perhaps write off others for small things like wearing red shoes, but not this group. Nope. They have created a BSAO hate group from nothing. If they steal seats one day who knows what can happen the next? Taking our soup spoons at dinner. I'm confused. I'm afraid. and I might be a little angry.
I also went to France and Belgium this weekend.
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