But….WHAT IS A

BRITISH FILM?

Diversity makes a defining a ‘British’ film very challenging.

Some UK Film Council definitions:◦ Films principally shot in the UK, using a British

crew/cast◦ Film’s financed from within the UK◦ Film’s that are set in the UK◦ Film’s that address British Identity and Society

Range of definitions – 32 in total, but to qualify as a British film only 16 must be met.

One is that the film represents/reflects a diverse British culture, British heritage or British creativity (so we don’t just make lots of imitations of American films)

Yes:- Director – Paul Greengrass is

British Large section is filmed in

London, some studio work at Pinewood

Largely British crew

No:- Doesn’t reflect British themes or

concerns Lots of other locations Produced by Universal – Frank

Marshall and Doug Liman are American

Universal are American owned company

If we can’t define, we can recognise traits and conventions of specific trends and cycles:

enough to be genres?

1. Costume dramas: A Room with a View

2. Historical Epics: Pride and Prejudice

3. Literary Adaptation: Remains of the Day

Merchant-Ivory – winning brand of Heritage cinema created by producer-director team. Normally a period piece, set in Edwardian England featuring lavish sets and genteel characters.

‘Kitchen sink’ stage/TV dramas of 1960s

Ken Loach: Kes, Raining Stones, Sweet Sixteen

Mike Leigh: Abigail’s Party, Naked, Meantime

Social issues explored in complex fashion but often shocking and depressing.

First funded by television – especially Channel 4 in 80s

Nick Broomfield: His Big White Self, Biggie and Tupac, Tracking Down Maggie

Nature documentary sold around the world – often turned into theatrical release. E.g. Deep Blue (cinema version of The Blue Planet) and Earth (cinema version of Planet Earth)

Special effects industry developed with Stanley Kubrick for 2001: A Space Odyssey

Lots of Sci-Fi filmed at Pinewood and Shepperton studios: from Alien to Harry Potter

Hammer studios was a British production company that led the world in horror during the 50s and 60s (although this was partly through distribution deals with US owned studios such as Warner Brothers).

Managed to have significant impact on world market – famous for a certain style of Horror that low budgets, but nonetheless appeared lavish, making use of quality British actors and cleverly designed sets.

First produced by Working Title films

Four Weddings and a Funeral – grossed £240 million worldwide

Sliding Doors, Notting Hill, Love Actually, Bridget Jone’s Diary.

Fame of British pop music established UK as leader in youth culture

Films capitalised on this: Quadraphenia (Mods), Performance (Hippies), Human Traffic (Ravers), This is England (Skinheads) and Control (Indie).

Popular globally because Mods, Hippies, Ravers, Skinheads from any country will want to watch their own ‘subculture’.

Youthful ennui and sense of rebellion is universal

Crime cinema has always been popular – Hell is a City, Blue Lantern

Films like Get Carter were able to be more downbeat and violent than American films

Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels started a new trend in 90s for fast-talking cockney gangster films: Snatch, Essex Boys, Gangster No1, Layer Cake

How are images of the ‘British’ used to market films?

‘Heritage’ cinema Literary adaptations ‘Urban Fairytale’

UK Film used to reinforce patriotism (for domestic audience)

UK Film used as tourist marketing strategy (for foreign audiences)

Conforms to US market’s stereotype of the British – ‘Anglophilia’. Like cinematic tourism.

Reinforces nostalgic vision of Britain and British values to domestic audience

‘Escapist’/positive representation of modern Britain

‘Literary’ status – treated as ‘prestige’ films (for an ‘intelligent’ audience); book franchises

(Becoming Jane, The Jane Austen Book Club, Clueless – Austen as a genre)

Stereotypes of Britishness: polite, reserved, aristocratic, chirpy cockney, honourable etc.

Concentration on upper middle class lifestyles Nostalgic, romanticised vision of the past Literary associations (adaptation, biography) ‘Heritage’ cinema – visual pleasure of

sumptuous costume and set design ‘Urban fairytale’ elements – romantic comedies,

sanitised images of Britain, mostly white middle class characters, strong women supported by close-knit friends

‘Gritty Realism’

Opposite of Heritage cinema – critical of British life, not reinforcing patriotic values (Trainspotting: “It’s shite being Scottish!”

Challenging to audience’s comfort zones: unflinching portrait of harsh reality of modern Britain

Often shocking examination of dark side of human behaviour; explicit sex, violence, drugs.

Deals with social problems (drugs, poverty, violence, child abuse) explicitly but with complexity

Often focuses on working or ‘underclass’ characters

Rival to ‘saccharine’ sentimentality of Hollywood films – more daring and shocking.

Liberal art-house audience who like cinema to challenge their preconceptions and comfort zones.

Makes middle class audiences feel secure by contrasting characters lives.

Critical success – ‘serious’ film for more ‘intelligent’ audiences.

Claire Monk’s phrase for historical dramas that don’t just ‘display’ the past, but ‘interrogates’ the past and our relationship to it.

Questions how the past is represented.

Explores contemporary themes in historical setting.

Still lots of authentic period mise-en-scene

Often beautifully lit and shot Well received by fans of historical films But doesn’t shy away from ‘historical

realism’ and the harsh realities of the past – not romanticised.

So enjoyed by more ‘serious’ audiences.

Elizabeth

Atonement

This is England

This is England (Shane Meadows, 2007)

Case Study:

Born in 1972 and lived most of his life in the Midlands – the setting of all of his films.

His first proper feature-length film is Twenty Four Seven (1997) and like many of his films this was largely autobiographical and focussed on incidents from his past.

His most recent films, This is England (2006) and Somers Town (2008) have seen his profile as a director grow and grow.

Tends to make films that have similar themes (effects of violence, revenge) or characters (loners, impressionable-yet-strong boys) that reflect his own upbringing.

Similar setting – in and around the Midlands area.

DIY approach to filmmaking – little or no formal training.

Encourages actors to ad lib in order to create the impression of real people and thus create a better sense of reality.

Tends to work with similar actors (Paddy Considine, Thomas Turgoose) and screenwriters (Paul Fraser).

Originated in the late 1960’s, came from mods who were welcomed into the reggae clubs in London.

Here they discovered ska music and the key components of the skinhead look.

The skinhead culture was taken up by black and white working class kids working in shipyards and factory lines.

Second wave of skinheads fused ska music, like Madness and The Specials, with a new punk genre, called ‘OI!’ music - romperstomper, energetic music, charged for fighting.

In the 80s teens from areas of high unemployment looking for solidarity, who were ignored by Thatcher’s ‘me’ culture, were especially vulnerable to the advances of the National Front.

‘The skinhead, because of their aggression and outward appearance, they’re almost soldier-like, were I suppose almost handpicked to become soldiers for the National Front. You don’t see the contradiction that you’re being indoctrinated into the National Front whilst listening to black music. When I first heard about the National Front, the picture that was painted to me was a Churchillian vision of Asian families rowing into the white cliffs of Dover on boats, and that skinheads would be on the beaches fighting to stop them entering your country. As a twelve-year-old kid that’s quite a romantic image. It’s almost like ‘what your granddad did.’

‘When you’re twelve and no-one in your town can get a job, and someone comes up to you and says ‘these people are to blame’ it’s easy to believe. I did for about three weeks, some people still believe that as adults and that’s frightening.’

‘It’s not to do with colour so much, it’s to do with identity and belonging.’

- Shane Meadows

Watch the clip.How is ‘England’ being defined? How is ‘Britishness’?

How do the connotations of the flag change for Shaun?

What does this flag mean to you? Having looked at the film do you think these

associations have changed over time? Does the flag have specific group

association now? Is the flag something to which you feel any

kind of allegiance? Where do these ideas/feelings come from?

QuestionWhy do you think we see a montage of the Falklands war at the end of the film, just after Milky has been nearly beaten to death?

How is British national identity defined?How is it problematised?

Is this an accurate portrayal of British life?

Is it nostalgic? For a ‘historical’ film, how is it relevant to

today’s audiences? How does it differ from other British

films? How ‘British’ is it?