High Levels

New Zealand Listener, Volume 18, Issue 456, 19 March 1948, Page 30

High Levels

N these columns recently I mentioned the serial H. M. Stanley, Explorer, which has just finished from 4ZB. A fast-moving adventurous tale of African exploits, it was vastly superior to the run-of-the-mill serial in which the pas‘sions of fictitious characters are torn to tatters for the bénefit of emotional listeners. But, in contrast, how immensely superior. again was the BBC production On the Mountain, which was described as "a fantasy on the life of David Livingstone." In the ZB serial, Livingstone was a. mere myth, the distant goal of Stanley’s journeying, and had no real life of his own; except, of course, that he was permitted to appear for a brief instant in the final episode, in order that he might reply to the famous question, "Dr. Livingstone, I presume?" The BBC programme, in half’ an hour, made Livingstone a more real figure than the ZB serial could make of Stanley "in a whole series of episodes, The programme on Livingstone was well described as a fantasia, the elements which were used in its production being skilfully treated with almost : contrapuntal technique. The names of: the romantic African places-village, river, lake-the true Scots voice which spoke Livingstone’s part, the readings from diaries and notes in the utterances of a poet deeply imbued with the beatific vision, all combined in terrific crescendo

to the climax where the rhythm of the native drums and the dying man’s voice coincided in a. religious fervour; then the sudden contrast of fhe quiet voice repeating "I am so cold." Thoughtfully and lovingly written, well-produced, On the Mountain gave us an unforgettable portrait of an unforgettable man.