Eclipse Series 24: THE ACTUALITY DRAMAS OF ALLAN KING: KING, Allan: Warrendale (1967)

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KING, Allan (Canada)
Warrendale [1967]
Eclipse Series 24
DVD


For his enthralling first feature, Allan King took his cameras to a home for emotionally disturbed young people. Situated inside the facility like a fly on the wall, we witness the full spectrum of emotions displayed by twelve fascinating children and the caregivers trying to nurture and guide them. The stunning Warrendale won the Prix dArt et d'Essai at Cannes and a special documentary award from the National Society of Film Critics.

101 minutes
Black & White
Monaural
1:33:1 aspect ratio
Criterion Release 2010
Director



Carol doesn’t want to get out of bed.

Can you blame her? She’s had nightmares, and the Stones’ Satisfaction is blaring from a record player. Terry — a young social worker — tries some soothing talk, but this girl just ain’t gettin’ outta bed …

Of course, we’re at Warrendale, a group home for disturbed kids in the Toronto suburbs — what today we’d call a “residential treatment center.”

Terry enlists Walter’s help, and they grapple and hold the girl into twisted configurations that don’t appear to be very comfortable.

Thus we are thrust into Allan King’s docu- — sorry, actuality drama — from 1967. The man behind the idea for this place — the Executive director — is John Brown. We meet him in an ensuing scene where he gently reprimands Terry and Walter for the way they “held” her. (Walter insists he could have talked her out of bed.)

Meanwhile, Tony — who can’t be older than 10 — is furiously throwing around the F-word at every opportunity.

The only supposed professional onboard is Dr. Martin Fischer, a German-born psychiatrist. We only see him in one scene, where is trying to get Susan to write an honest letter to her parents. (“Dear Parents: I wish you were dead.”)

Irene — an older teenager with melting animé-eyes — is seen “celebrating” her second anniversary at Warrendale. Of all the kids, she seems to have at least come to terms with her problems, if not having completely worked them out.

**

King apparently was appropriately sensitive in his approach to this actuality drama — but then again we see a very disturbing scene involving the death of a staff member, which occurred early in the filming, but was edited into the denouement for dramatic effect.

This film is both a wonder and a train wreck all at the same time. It shouldn’t be missed, but you won’t want to rewatch it, either …

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