Fires Were Started

{{Infobox film

| name =Fires Were Started

| image =Still from the documentary "Fires Were Started".jpg

| caption =Still from the documentary Fires Were Started

| writer =Humphrey Jennings

| narrator =

| starring = William Sansom
George Gravett
Phillip Wilson-Dickson
Fred Griffiths
Loris Rey
Johnny Houghton
T. P. Smith
John Barker

| music =William Alwyn

| cinematography =C.M. Pennington-Richards

| editing =Stewart McAllister

| distributor =Crown Film Unit

| released ={{Film date|1943|04|12|UK|df=yes}}

| runtime =65 min.

| country =United Kingdom

| language =English

| budget =

}}

Fires Were Started is a 1943 British film written and directed by Humphrey Jennings. Filmed in documentary style, it shows the lives of firefighters through the Blitz during the Second World War. The film uses actual firemen (including Cyril Demarne) rather than professional actors.

Production

Exterior shots were filmed on location, while the interior scenes were shot at Pinewood Studios. Jennings's first cut of the film was titled I Was a Fireman and ran to 74 minutes. This was cut down to 65 minutes and released as Fires Were Started.

Critical reception

Film critics mostly praised the film for its realism and documentary value, despite its reconstructions. Dilys Powell, of the Sunday Times declared its authenticity to be 'moving and terrifying'.{{sfn|Winston|1999|p=66}}

References

Bibliography

{{cite book |last=Winston |first=Brian |series=BFI Film classics |title=Fires Were Started |year=1999 |publisher=BFI Publishing |location=London |isbn=978-0-85170-773-0}}