Mark Cousins tells 'The Story of Film'

Jeez! Did any of you actually focus on the content of this series and learn from it? Mark's voice was so low key as to not detract and the narration itself was informative. I learned loads and was filled with enough curiosity that I will now search out DVDs of many of the films clipped in the series that I wouldn't have been interested in before. Keep an open mind and if you don't like his voice, use the subtitles. Mark, in my opinion this is a fine series and your voice is fab.

I have just finished watching the final episode of this wonderful series. I did not know a great deal about film to start with, and I have learnt much from Cousins series. When Igo and look at the World Cinema section of HMV now, at least I have some idea of what to look for. I did not find his voice a distraction, and I think those folk who did really need to grow up

I have to agree with all the people complaining about the narration. It's got nothing to do with Mark Cousin's accent. It's the maddeningly monotonous repetition of the same rising tone at the end of EVERY BLOODY SENTENCE that drives me to rend my garments and howl in agony. I really wanted to like this series. Cousins has many valuable and interesting points to make, and like the review says, his enthusiasm is infectious. I've tried to watch about five times. "Come on now," I said to myself, "pull yourself together, you'll get used to it." But it's just impossible to get through more than ten minutes. What a shame, because in every other respect this is an excellent and very welcome series. It could have been a blockbuster if Cousins had been able to afford an assistant to give him feedback on his narration.

Have persevered with it because its really interesting, but the sibilant, prissy voiceover in the style of a sulking, spoilt and peculiarly melancholic child is driving me mental. Find myself imitating certain phrases back at the TV in anger. I may need help at the end of the series.

Aside from the incredibly irritating narration, this is just rubbish. It might impress someone who knows nothing of the history of film.

Just to take one of Cousins' hyperbolic, ridiculous, incorrect statements, at random:

Cousins: "'The Crowd' sums up a lot about cinema of the 20's and 30's. It showed mass society emerging. It focused on the everyman, as French films would do."

Umm, no, they wouldn't. And didn't.

Cousins: "It showed the kinetic energy of cities themselves, their rhythms and compositions, like the German movies of Fritz Lang..."

Ummm, which Lang movies is Cousins thinking of? Apparently a few he didn't direct.

This is film history as understood by someone who has watched a few clips on Youtube. If you must, enjoy the film excerpts, but take anything Cousins says for what it's worth, i.e. nothing.

I've just read some references to "accent snobbery". Again, as an Irish person, there is nothing further from the truth. This guy's voice and delivery are just PAINFUL. I spend a few hours of of my day listening to Irish radio, which is filled with wonderful voices AND accents. 2 minutes of Cousins' delivery and I'm on edge. It's dreadful.

I have tried to watch this programme on a few different occasions, and I just CAN'T because of the appalling voiceover. I'm (Southern) Irish, and I thought he was Scottish. I don't mean to insult the wonderful Scottish accent here - what I mean is that he was unforgiveably eccentric.. His voice and delivery is affected and unbearable. Who let this go out?

Cousins has to have the most annoying voice on TV.

And his script his terrible: just a moment ago he claimed that the French attention to PoMo was a reaction against seriousness. And he's just said: '...sashay down to Spain...' presumably for the alliteration rather than the sense.

I'm going to have to turn it off, it's unlistenable.

This is certainly the best documentary on this subject ever made. The enthusiasm for innovation and shear breadth and ambition of the work are truly awe-inspiring. You will not see a documentary this good again.

have tried to watch this series every episode and cant last more than 5 mins, his voice drives me insane, its so distracting it makes you think about him and how much you want to give him a kicking and not about the content.

Mark Cousins is far more engaging on the subject of video bloopers (check out http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E6mkc6urVvU).

Really wanted to get into this series. Wouldn't have cared if the the narrator had been Irish, Scottish, Welsh, French, German, Italian, American ......... BUT ... that pretenious and 'oh-so-precise' delivery style is just dreadful. What the hell were C4 thinking when they gave the OK to air this?

And unlike others I find his voice mesmerizing - strange at first with its drawn out sentences but how can anyone not love the feeling that such great thought and choice of words to explain an art form he adores and wants to share has been softly spoken to us - I feel I've been invited into his magical world - its such a generous thing to do -there seems to be no ego in this just a desire to share, to take time out to say "look" this is amazing , it moved me - it will move you" Everyone else here seems to know a lot about film, I don't, so he has opened up a world of even more wonder to me - I never post stuff like this so it shows it must be something that is touching people

This is brilliant, It's a joy, a revelation, an education. I thought I loved film and maybe knew a bit about it, but this takes it to a different level. Marks turn of phrase and passion in contagious, I hang on every word, see things in the films I have loved that I had missed before because of his technical insight - giving an even greater joy to an already marvelous experience. I did not intend to write this - I was searching the web to see if i could buy the series. It's the most wonderful share of knowledge, Thank you Mark x

Well done Mark for creating this essential and creative work.

As for those who have been slating the voiceover, you should sod off to your popcorn and UCI cinemas. Cheerio.

I can only assume that those defending the choice to use Cousins himself as narrator watched with subtitles as it is pretty indefensible. The series is fascinating, and I am persevering in the hope that soon I will get used to the dreadful monotony that he inflicts on us. I'm not sure why people are bandying about words like 'parochial' - you are not reading the comments properly, it is NOT an issue of regional accent but of delivery and intonation, and if some people can't understand this difference then it is *they* who are missing the point.

What a shame that so much of the reaction here is about the narration and not this fascinating piece of film-making. It has made me realise that although a film buff how anglocentric my scope is, that said I hope English social realism gets a mention as we progress the next few decades. Pity the Film Four companion films are going out in graveyard slots, but that's typical tv scheduling - put the low IQ blockbuster on at 9 and a great Loach or Leigh on at ten to midnight. Stick with Mark Cousins, the delivery is deadpan but the enthusiasm and insight is magical.

I was really really looking forward to this series - all about cinema from the beginning, not just the last decade or so and from all over the world - I thought it couldn't get much better than this. I love the Irish accent (I'm a McCarthy) honestly I could listen to it all day. It was Mark Cousin's inappropriate, exaggerated intonation that ruined the whole experience. I and my other half persevered - we both find the cinema a fascinating subject but we just couldn't take any more - what should have been a brilliant series, which would be remembered and referred to for years to come was quite simply ruined by someone who should have realised that, no matter how committed to the subject involved and talented is very far from being a gifted narrator - even of his own work. Sorry to have to say this - it could have been the best ever programme on the subject of cinema!

I'm so glad I'm not the only one that finds Mark Cousins voice unbearable. I have read his Story of Film and suspected that he was a touch prentious but I was willing to overlook this as I think he has some interesting things to say about film. However, I simply cannot listen to his voice for more than five minutes before I have to turn it off. So thank you everyone for making for feel like I was going mad.

Those comments referring to snobbishness and inferring prejudice for his accent are missing the point. It's not his accent it's his boring meandering excruciatingly annoying voice, it makes me want to drive an icepic into each ear,he ruins the whole thing with his whiny wanky commentary which is pretentious in the extreme. It's this type of indulgent pseudo intellectual twattishness that actually turns people off what should be engaging and informative.

The decision to provide the voice over when he must know it alienates the audience hints at monumental arrogance. Poor show.

The narration - and please don't misunderstand I don't have a issue with the Irish accent - plenty of which sounds terrific like cook Rachel Allen. But Mr Mark Cousin is not suitable for voice over work because he just sounds plain BORING. And why does he need to end each word as if its a question?

I am not joking when I say it is such a dull voice you have to question whenever the delivery is deliberate to sabotage this series - in many way its excellent but cannot for the life of me appreciate it with a V/O so mono toned and on life support.

This is one of the best documentaries I've ever seen and I say that from the perspective of only having seen 6 episodes so far. I dearly hope it gets a bluray release.

Why has Mark Cousins been away from our TV screens so long? I have fond memories of watching his 'Scene by Scene' series on BBC as a teenager- it had a great impact on me as a youngster discovering the great films for the first time.

Any of the below commentors who've written this off purely on the basis of Mark Cousin's accent are missing out on an informative treat. This kind of accent snobbery is nonsensical & unfair- I happen to like his narration, it's a pleasure to hear a different type of voice to the type we're accustomed to on British TV and it kept me rapt.

Love it! I take notes on every episode as he introduces so many films and explains them in a way that makes me want to see them. Never studied film but this is seriously informative. I've always had a penchant for auteurs and arthouse, but this series has proved to me how little I really know!

I'm amazed at the low tolerance (or downright prejudice) shown by so many people commenting here. They're missing an experience that's invaluable to anyone seriously interested in film. What a shame that the expertise that Mark brings to his subject from his obvious love for and immersion in film is wasted on them. Unbelievable that they let the delivery obscure the message. It's their loss; I only hope their asinine comments and short-sighted attitude don't put off others from watching this landmark series, which has introduced me to aspects of film and to individual films and directors that otherwise I would have missed. If it is made available on DVD I'l be at the front of the queue!

It's ironic that in dealing with such a global subject, some people seem to be oblivious to the fact that Britannia no longer rules the (air) waves. Here is an easy to understand narrator clearly in awe of the medium he so obviously adores. The feint hearted of you who cannot abide a person's accent are missing out on an excellent series. How parochial.

The horrible whining narration has meant that I've yet to watch the second part. I can stiiiiiiiiill hear his voiiiiicccce in my heeeeeead.

I was really looking forward to this but the second i heard Cousin's voice, it was over for me. I thought he was cast out of TV years ago. Why on earth was he allowed to voice this??? It's totally unbearable and makes it impossible to concentrate on anything else while he whittles on in that sluggish drone that blocks everything else out.
Even when a scene of importance comes on, within nano-seconds Cousin's voice obliterates the dialogue, the scene and destroys the whole experience he says he wants us to enjoy.
Seriously, the worst voice to have as a voice-over ever. Does he do it on purpose? He sounds like he's been practicing that for years. Surely someone's pointed it out to him before. I didn't even make it to the first ad-break. What a wasted opportunity!

A simply marvellous series from someone who loves cinema & a delight to learn more about the global pioneers who have brought so much to this art form. Pity to see the bias here against Irish accents.

So many of my friends were looking forward to this series and all have either given up or resorted to subtitles. Please rewind and revoice Mark.
Would also add that slightly fewer but longer clips might be more enlightening.

Oh dear! Absolutely fascinating subject which I really wanted to watch and yet I couldn't manage more than ten minutes of the first programme. I became so desperate for just one, occasional, tiny change in intonation from the narrator, that in the end I couldn't focus what he was saying or what I was watching. Such a huge shame, but I just can't face watching any more of it, unless I do it with subtitles and the sound off..

I completely agree with Helen. I would like to have watched this series but Cousins' narration, an extremely irritating droning lilt, had me switchig over. Dentists drills make better listening!

Sadly the entire experience of watching this fascinating series was spoiled by Cousin's pretentious, droning narration which was irritating in the extreme. It's a pity, but I had to switch off because I could stand it no longer.