Is the Red Ensign (1934) movie a debate about our recession?It still was recession time in England in 1934 as it is now in the USA. The other day we watched the “Red Ensign” 1934 movie with delight. After I watched it for the second time I felt energized and I wrote this article because I disagree with “Classic British Thrillers” DVD cover makers. Also you may find other reasons to argue about. The hero of this story is David Barr a good engineer with light speed business mind. In my opinion he is NOT an “idealistic shipbuilder” as marketers say. He is a model to follow. Despite the economic depression Mr. Barr wants to rebuild the England’ obsolete commercial fleet. His decision is based on his new cargo ship project. The new vessel is more efficient and is updated to new technological enhancements. The project has been already tested in special labs. His business decision is based on good engineering work and is driven by his integrity of purpose and his burning desire to accomplish what is so obvious for him and so risky and beyond comprehension for company’s board of directors. His point is: “How England’ economy gets out of recession if private capitalists and government approvals will not help restarting the new economic cycle? We start the work now, before recovery!”
About outsourcing in 1934The closest competitor is the unscrupulous Mr. Manning, who makes money by registering his ships under foreign flags and boarding on them foreign cheap labor. It sounds like outsourcing capital and work for quick return with no long term business vision. We watched the movie twice to feel the Mr. Barr burning desire and see how his integrity of purpose saved him. He run out of personal money four weeks before the first ship materialized. Now he confronts more incompetence, crooks, bank corruption, labor instigators and sabotage.
Today's business life is more complicatedThis movie captured documentary images of Glasgow’ shipyard: steel making, metal processing, people hiring and their hard work. The film makers (Michael Powell director) loved their subject and it gave us details of labor and business life in every picture. I did not see there an inflated company structure with many directors and managers in charge of numerous departments required by complicated work processes just for job security of so many relatives not all doing productive work or adding value to the final product. I am not criticizing today’ big or small companies, but I am nostalgic for integrity of purpose in doing business. We need characters like David Barr at the top to recover our country from this current epic downturn. Am I idealistic now? We rented this DVD at City Library. Search for Red Ensign (1934) movie.
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