A Queen Is Crowned

When narrator Laurence Olivier concluded this documentary record of the Coronation by hoping that Queen Elizabeth II would live for ever, few would have guessed that she would still be at the helm seven decades later. Released a mere four days after the event, Castleton Knight's Technicolor record of the ritual and pageantry merited its Oscar nomination simply for the speed and acuity of its compilation from six hours of footage. Combining reportage and artistry, the imagery captures the pomp and circumstance of the occasion, which are reinforced by Christopher Fry's poetic commentary and the stirring musical accompaniment of the London Symphony Orchestra. Olivier's delivery sounds a tad theatrical today, but its sincerity is undeniable, as he conveys the solemnity of the ceremonial inside Westminster Abbey, either side of stately montages depicting the magnificent processions that restored colour to lives that had long been benighted by war and austerity. The 21st century is a different time and place, so this is an invaluable reminder of how a united kingdom looked on 2 June 1953.