The Man Who Taught Us About Britain

Today would have marked the 95th birthday of a visionary documentarian who turned a fierce and unblinking eye on the habits and lifestyles of his fellow countrymen. While often castigated for his bleak perspective, it was in fact his honorable unwillingness to soften the grim realities of life amongst his people that allowed the rest of the world for the first time to truly understand the British character. He passed away nearly fifteen years ago, but it is still his profound and unvarnished vision of a nation’s squalid citizenry that we think of whenever we consider the Briton. So for that alone, we celebrate the life of Reginald Smyth, anthropologist.