The Stars Look Down

The Stars Look Down is a gripping drama film from 1940 set in the bleak and austere landscape of a small coal mining town in North East England. A British adaptation of A.J. Cronin's novel of the same name, the movie directed by Carol Reed features stellar performances by Michael Redgrave, Margaret Lockwood, and Edward Rigby, with storylines rich in social commentary, romance, and tragedy.

The Stars Look Down showcases Michael Redgrave as Davey Fenwick, a young miner with ambitions beyond the pits. Fenwick is a dedicated, hardworking, and ambitious miner’s son who dreams of escaping the limited opportunities of his little mining community, Coronation. Through diligence and sheer perseverance, he secures a scholarship to study at University to become a teacher, a leap towards his dream of creating a better life for himself and others like him. His earnest endeavours come through with an extraordinary significance in Redgrave’s sincere performance.

Margaret Lockwood plays the character of Jenny Sunley, a shopkeeper's playing-it-cool daughter. She's a conventional beauty, blessed with wit and ambition, who knows how to wield her charms to her advantage. She aims to escape the mundane life, and her lively, gritty character is compelling to watch. The story exhibits an enticing, if tumultuous, romantic plotline between her and the industrious Davey Fenwick. This storyline feeds into the larger themes of the movie through its connection to the stresses and strains of working-class life.

Edward Rigby plays Davey's father, Joe Fenwick, a typical aging miner stoically bearing the brunt of working in the mines for most of his life. He perfectly embodies the character showcasing the silent resignation and understated bravery of the generations of coal miners who spent their lives on the coalface.

The background and landscape of the film hold special significance. The set designs emphasise the claustrophobic mine shafts and stark, rugged outdoors, demonstrating the unvarnished reality of life in the mining town. The scenes from the coal mine present a stark contrast to the environment of the University, which symbolises freedom, opportunity, and progress. The miner's struggle for adequate working conditions and safety measures forms a significant part of the plot, contributing an undercurrent of tension and impending doom throughout the movie.

Carol Reed's direction is powerful and evocative, creating a narrative that is both intimate in its characterisation and universal in its themes. The movie is a condemnation of capitalism in its unregulated form, highlighting the exploitation and precarious life conditions of the working class. There are also themes of socio-economic disparity, labour rights, and class struggles embedded within the storyline, which resonate powerfully with the audience.

The film's screenplay integrates romance, tragedy, and social issues seamlessly. The personal narratives are set against the backdrop of broader social and political upheavals, making The Stars Look Down a gritty and real film, but also a compelling social drama. The film moves at a confident pace and gradually builds up the tension, leading towards the denouement. It encapsulates the essence of the struggle of a working-class community, along with their aspirations, hopes, and dreams within the confines of a system that doesn't favour them.

Every element of filmmaking in The Stars Look Down - the acting, the direction, the screenplay, the set design and even the cinematography - is geared towards creating a hard-hitting representation of the lives and struggles of the mining community, and highlighting their lofty dreams amidst the stark reality of their days and nights. The performances of Michael Redgrave, Margaret Lockwood and Edward Rigby bring the characters to life, enhancing the plot and engaging the audience throughout.

In conclusion, The Stars Look Down is a masterclass blend of social realism with personal drama. It tells the tale of hope and dreams amidst trials and tribulations, of ambition in the face of adversity and struggle, of love and loss, of perseverance and determination. With its remarkable performances, beautiful storytelling, and profound themes, The Stars Look Down is a classic British film that leaves a lasting impression.