Where Words Prevail

Where Words Prevail is a portrait of Cicely Berry, Voice Director of the Royal Shakespeare Company, who—at least judging from the actors, directors, teachers, and political figures interviewed here—has a remarkable talent for eliciting impassioned, committed performances from both professionals and amateurs, often through the use of exercises that are thoroughly unconventional. This affectionate but fastidiously controlled film lets Berry speak for herself—which the soft-spoken but determined lady seems happy to do, not only on her craft but on larger issues (the title derives from a line in Thomas Kyd's The Spanish Tragedy, “Where words prevail not, violence prevails,” which emphasizes Berry's belief that reverence for language can help resolve issues that might otherwise cause social unrest), including her view that governmental support for the arts in general is a prerequisite for a civil society. But it also shows her at work, not only at the RSC but in a variety of other locales—including a British prison, as well as schools in Russia, Korea, and Brazil—as she gently but firmly draws the best from youngsters, actors-in-training, and seasoned professionals (Helen Hunt and Tim Piggott-Smith are among those featured). Without ever becoming maudlin, the documentary effectively conveys both the quality of Berry's professional work and the power of the spoken word in general. Aud: H, C, P. (F. Swietek)