British cinema has had an awfully unconsistent history; one minute you'll get a hyperbole vision of heroin soaked Glasgow in Trainspotting, next minute we are glazing the English countryside in one of hundreds of generic heritage flicks, and it has always struggled with a universal appeal. Some of you may be british like myself and want a few more interesting homegrown productions, some might not. Those of you from outside the UK (the majority) might have your opinions on British cinema, then again you might not.
I want to ask a few questions, such as what is your favourite British film? Do you think British or homegrown cinema anywhere in the world for that matter, have more of a spotlight?
I've been milling over this continuing discussion for a while now, yet was provoked recently by This Is England, a slightly predictable, yet engagingly gritty drama, set a few decades back. It's the kind of film that won't make it out of the UK, it's very british, but in a way that isn't too accessible for widespread audiences. I enjoyed it, wouldn't buy it on DVD mind, but it reminded me how hopelessly bleak these kinds of films are to both a native Brit and god help us, foreigners.
Not since Fleming wrote the damn books. Favourites of mine include Made in Britain and Trainspotting (as forementioned). There's a few entertaining ones such a Four Weddings and a Funeral etc, but if anyone believes Notting Hill is full of middle class public school educated toffs, then they are very much mistaken. Other films like Football Factory can be entertaining, but really not very appealing to wider audiences. I'm not a fan of Guy Ritchie stuff.
for a start trainspotting is set in Edinburgh...not Glasgow
you want great British films
dead mans shoes
a room for romeo brass
16 years of alcohol
sweet sixteen
long good friday
ganster no 1
the krays
twin town
withnail and i
the lady killers
lawrence of arabia
great expectations
bridge on the river kwai
scum
quadraphenia
the dam busters
a clockwork orange
my name is joe
the wickerman
the killing fields
get carter
a fish called wanda
monty python
or Irish (cause it close enough)
the commitments
disco pigs
in the name of the father
and for those who say that British films never really make it that big outside the UK..
I'm sorry, I didn't read your whole rant. Ignore my previous post, that's aimed at Face. Anyway, This is England is alright, a step down from Dead Man's Shoes, though. My favorite british film is either Blowup, or 2001: A Space Odyssey.
Another "Great British" movie franchise is James Bond, made with american money. See the pattern building up? It's all american money. Hell, statistically Batman Begins was a British film, yet all made with american money, little to none of this income goes back into the British film industry. Of course, British stars will be paraded around in big Warner Brothers outings like Harry Potter, but in the end, nothing is going back to the British film indsutry.
One year, a massive hit for the industry, last I remember was The Full Monty, generated massive gross, yet all american money. Four Weddings And A Funeral, made masses of cash, yet Working Title's deal with a major Hollywood studio meant most of the profits disappeared again. One year, a massive hit, then next year the industry goes bust.
Maybe I am sounding the trumpet of doom a bit much. British cinema has done well recently, Film4 was been resurrected from the grave of making too many forumlaic heritage dramas, but it's happened before.
Maybe I'm the only Brit, or the only Brit who cares though.
What I'm definitely not a fan of is what Britain is beginning to presented as in movies nowadays. Take Green Street for instance, need I say more, absolutely ridiculous.
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so what...black hawk down was filmed in morrocco...wasn't set there was it?
that implies that it was set in Glasgow...it wasn't
true...but it was made by a british production company
on a related note...hammer horror just got bought over today and is apparently going to be resurrected
or maybe you're only scratching the surface and looking at what is well known rather than what is good
and granted many british films are either crap period drama like pride and prejudice or gritty gangster or drug films like trainspotting or the krays...for 1...the foreign markets lap up the period nonsense...and 2...the gritty stuff is extremely watchable and convincing and more importantly...capable of being made on small budgets
if these films portray a skewed view and people think that's what britain is actually like then clearly those people are idiots.
if that were the case then everyone around the world would think that the US were a crime soaked gun infested hell hole country where the rich people live in complete isolation and everyone else eeks a living by selling their babies for their next toke of the crack pipe.
This Is England is a nice little flick if you can find a cinema showing it
my local Multiplex doesnt have it on yet it has 3 Bollywood movies on amongst Spidey showing on about four screens as well
one of the critical faves of the year thus far and can you see it?
Fair enough for your opinion, but I am actually intentionally looking at how the British film industry is perceived in the rest of the world, relevant of some of the great stuff which comes out of the industry; it simply is not accessible to the audiences Hollywood can attract. Is it important whether the British industry should emulate the glamour of Hollywood? I don't know. That is what I am asking.
Yes, many other countries go wild for the period nonsense, but does that make it interesting? For me, it doesn't, and although making films like these may attract well to do middle class foreign markets and generate some money, it is a pain that people believe Britain is a quaint little backwards country. Yes, it is silly that it can be peoples perception, but none the less, they will think that.
After all, A Room With A View, often called the quintisentionally British film, proves that these period pieces need not even be made by British talent.
This is something I disagree with you on. Some British films can be very watchable, a la Richard Curtis penned films (even with a glorified view of Britain), but the gritty, gangster films never seem to have any universal appeal to me. Sure, they can by clever, even witty at times, but compared to the big budget films (when done correctly) that cater for everyone, they just don't hit the mark.
The british cinema is truly amazing. As good as the american. In special, i love Julie Christie's first movies like doctor zhivago, darling, billy liar, far from the madding crow or petulia.
British actors are the best actors ever.
__________________ The beatles, best group ever.
John Lennon, Musical genius of all time
Helen Mirren and Julie Christie , most lovely british actresses of all time.
for me a music analogy is apt...hollywood churn out the huge budget well marketed films with what i consider to be little or no artistic integrity at all...the equivalent of chart pop music...britain produce the critically acclaimed yet poor in a commercial sense type films
i dont think britain could emulate the US in terms of huge blockbusters anyway...there isnt a british only film company capable of throwing $100,000,000+ at a film and i'd hate to see what happens if they did
regardless...when they do have a slightly bigger budget it generally produces great results...sunshine being a recent example
like any genre...it depends on the film...while lock stock and snatch are generally considered well liked but piss poor...films like the debt collecter and the long good friday are utterly brilliant
i personally would rather british film companies churned out these films as cash cows to allow more adventurous film making and for the most part thats what they do...i, as with you, personally dont rate them at all...but they serve a purpose
where as in hollywood there is generally no interest in making films outwith certain characteristics...
everything is about the $$$$...a film HAS to gross so much in order to make the next film that has to gross so much...
there seems to be absolutely no interest in the art form anymore
there are obvious exceptions that people will still flock to see because of a particular director
perhaps that's what the UK lacks...enough credible directors who will attract money and are still given artistic freedom because the punters will still pay because its a given that the film will have a high standard
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British Cinema
May 10th, 2007 06:19 PM
