The Earth Remaineth

Rural idyll or shifting landscape? Harvest season and country life through a Wiltshire farmer's eyes.

An old farmer talks of the ups and down of rural life in harvest season. Borrowing a line from the Bible for its title, this dramatised documentary reflects man's ancient relationship with the land, but also changing times for British agriculture. Pictures from the Wiltshire countryside offer a stirring visual experience, as well as a very clear impression of the challenges of the natural world.

Including recognisable classical music like Beethoven's Pastoral Symphony, the film conjures a romantic vision of the past as an antidote to a highly uncertain era. John Gifford's folksy narration of the farmer's thoughts is delivered with wry humour. "I had a job to make some of these lads film stars," he grumbles, as the camera surveys the young farmhands. "Bill here wasn't too willing and I don't blame him."