A Sense of History

A Sense of History is a brilliantly funny short.

Purporting to be a documentary on a member of the British landed gentry, the 23rd Earl of Leete himself tells his august (and not so) family's story, stretching back to the Norman conquest.

A Sense of History mimics a peculiarly English documentary style with beautiful subtlety- the camera angles and movement as the Earl shows the viewer his estate, his Attenborough-like aristocratic tones and speech mannerisms, his smoothly flowing dialogue in contrast to and yet in effective tandem with numerous cuts to various parts of his woodland estate significant to his story. Even the Earl's encounter with one of his awkwardly deferential workers reinforces a particular sense of reported social reality.

At the introduction, with the Earl walking through a ruined arch and in an oh-so BBC tone talking about how he has always had a "sense of history" (exit right Earl, focus moves up to arch, cue title, trumpet intro music), it's difficult to tell that you are not watching a genuine documentary.

Without giving away the story, the audience is gradually made aware that all is not what it seems. This is achieved so cleverly and artfully, employing all the conventions of the "serious English documentary" that every successive cut to a new morsel of narration and revelation adds cumulatively to audience enjoyment without requiring an unbelievable climax. The tag after the credits puts the finishing touch on a truly marvellous short film. See it if you can.

The family history of the Earls of Leete, told by the 23rd Earl (Jim Broadbent) is a hypnotic masterpiece. Very funny, very black and very intelligent.

This is virtually a monologue. I tend to find monologues boring, although the British seem to do them quite well. But this was utterly absorbing. Although Jim Broadbent tells the story in the typically relaxed manner of a Brit aristocratic, I was on the edge of my seat wanting to hear the story.

I wish the British aristocracy was really like this.

This is a wonderful piece of film. A moving, stirring, tragic and comic short, which is essentially nothing more than a monologue!!!

Jim Broadbent is spectacular and the whole thing is beautifully put together. I saw this in the film tent at Glastonbury a couple of years ago and have just managed to see the streaming available to all on the channel 4 site, I will certainly be spreading the link to as many people as i can. (I believe it is posted on the message board for the film.)

This is a piece of television which I could happily watch over and over. The "spoof" documentary style (although this certainly isn't the best description) works to a tee and as the story unfolds and the life of the Earl unravels it becomes clear that much thought has been put not only into the script but also acting performance and filming. Watch it and love it.

A superb actor at his superb best.

Quite Wonderful!

Brendan summed it up nicely but it doesn't stress how funny this short really is.

This is a must see short film that you will never forget and be forever quoting.

All I can add is to persevere through the seemingly boring long opening of a documentary on a British aristocrat land owner talking about the values of family tradition, increasing ones land, and finding a fine wife; before you know it you will find that this is no ordinary Earl (or is he!?!?)

Jim Broadbent at his best!

There's something distinctly Churchillian about Jim Broadbent's rather engaging performance as the 23rd Earl of Leete. His rather grand exposé of their country estate (in front of an instantly recognisable Highcere) begins with the traditional "held in trust" kind of monologue, then the peer gradually drifts into a bit of familial character assassination that depicts his mother as a cough-medicine addict, his father as a rather stupid bully, and his elder brother - and the heir apparent - as a raging homosexual (even if he was 11 years old!). Anyway, with the estate in dire straits and his brother unlike to procreate, this seven year old Lord decides to dispose of his brother. Pigeon and rabbit shooting was a popular family pastime, so we now get a fairly graphic and detailed description of just what happened (think "Kind Hearts and Coronets") before continuing, seamlessly, with chat about the growth of the estate after the reformation under the 6th Earl and then a brief conversation with one of his tractor driving serfs! More family tragedies ensue and the narration becomes even more darkly humoured as we venture into his own WWII not so conscientious objections and his, qualified, support for the organisational genius that was Hitler! How to expand the estate? Well that's where marriage comes in. No sentiment, just acreage and knowing which fork to use! Finally, and this is where it comes off the rails a bit, he falls in love with a stable lass and decides that his homicidal tendencies needed honing again. Broadband's efforts and his pithy writing marries the pompous and the comedic excellently here, and his proud historical speechifying is expertly contrasted by his rants and his sense of privilege. A must see, this.