Our history of English cinema.

Hi everybody,

I hope that today's seminars gave some impression of the type of work that I want us to try to do in this unit. Keep in mind the different exercises that you did in groups, think about how that differed from the type of thing that (for example) Aristotle or Shklovsky look for, and maybe begin to think about what type of approaches you prefer to adopt when writing criticism. Don't get fooled into thinking that writing essays or criticism is a passive or unimportant thing - I want you to get into the mindset that you can change things by writing about them. Think about what you want to achieve, discover, or change when you choose what you write about. I'm excited - and I hope you are too!

I'll post again tomorrow or Wednesday about the F.R Leavis article - perhaps giving you some questions to ask yourself when you read it. The lecture about Marxism, given by Thomas Docherty, that I recommended you download is available from here. Thomas's lectures are really quite brilliant - the podcasts will be working from now on so I recommend you download them in future, and try to attend next term when your timetable is freed up.

We'll be talking about last week's exercise this week - but for now I've collected together the different reponses and linked to trailers or clips from all the respective films. Try to get a sense of what we've immediately collated together as a representation of 'English cinema'. If you can see any of these films this week or anytime soon - then try and do so!

THE LADYKILLERS (Alexander MacKendrick/Ealing Studios, 1955)


KES (Ken Loach, 1969)

(A four minute clip from the film, rather than a trailer. Great film.)

MONTY PYTHON'S LIFE OF BRIAN (Terry Jones, 1979)


WITHNAIL & I (Bruce Robinson, 1987)


FOUR WEDDINGS AND A FUNERAL (Mike Newell, 1994)


THE FULL MONTY (Peter Cattaneo, 1997)

(The Dutch subtitles suggest why these issues might be important!)

LOCK, STOCK AND TWO SMOKING BARRELS (Guy Ritchie, 1998)


A ROOM FOR ROMEO BRASS (Shane Meadows, 1999)


NOTTING HILL (Roger Michell, 1999)


BRIDGET JONES'S DIARY (Sharon Maguire, 2001)


28 DAYS LATER (Danny Boyle, 2002)


THIS IS ENGLAND (Shane Meadows, 2007)


SOMERS TOWN (Shane Meadows, 2008)



Try to think about which directors, writers and stars re-occur across our history of English cinema. Perhaps also take a minute to reflect upon the years around which these films are mostly clustered - and think about why that could be. If you've seen some or all of these movies, think about what type of narrative or narratives that they collectively tell about England.

Notting Hill

When an average cinemagoer is posed with the question “what comes to mind when you think of English cinema?” they may immediately think of the name Hugh Grant. He is often typecast into the role of the bumbling and clumsy Englishman, unlucky in life and love. In the romantic comedy Notting Hill (Roger Michell, 1999) Hugh Grant is again cast as the main protagonist. The film is set entirely in the area of Notting Hill in London, a popular tourist destination. All of the cast are British actors with the exception of the female lead, played by Julia Roberts, whose American accent puts further emphasis on the ‘Britishness’. The roles of Hugh Grant have become archetypal to the point of stereotypical of English cinema, making the opinion of many that British people are not unlike the character of William Thacker.

Life of Brian

After its surprise screening at the all-nighter on Friday, I felt compelled to choose this as the film which I see as quintessentially British.

There are many aspects to Life of Brian which make it a British film. It is made by the Monty Python troupe for one, the majority of which are British (five Brits to one American to be precise). It was filmed in Tunisia rather than the UK, but was British produced by Handmade Films (started up by ex-Beatle George Harrison). The film is also British in nature because of its comedy and because of its subject matter. The silly and often surreal comedy of Monty Python comes from a British humour which is known for being dark, manic and direct. The film is also an attack on religious fanaticism, which would be almost impossible to have in a movie in most other countries. This show a bravery and directness which British films are often associated with, as with most of the jokes about religion in this film, they are never afraid to pull their punches.

Somers Town

Shane Meadows’ Somers Town (2008) has a very British essence, not only due to it being the work of an English director famous for his rude-boy dramas set on council estates, but also because of its typically English content with references to London, King’s Cross, Polish immigrants, ‘Terry Henry’ football shirts, getting drunk in playgrounds and the troublesome youth of council estates better known as *the chav*, which British films like Kidulthood and The Great Ecstasy of Robert Carmichael have so nicely depicted previously.
Despite long sequences involving the Polish language, and one of the two main characters having a pricelessly amusing foreign trait, the main essence of the film is still British due to the Polish characters experiencing, and having to adapt to, an English lifestyle in London, which is a relevant and topical theme to include in the depiction of London today, highlighting the dominant British nationality of the film.

Kes

When initially thinking about English cinema what immediately came to mind was the work of English director Ken Loach, and particularly one of his earliest works - the 1969 film ‘Kes’. Set against a Yorkshire backdrop and depicting the life of a young boy from a conventional working class mining family of the time, the film is what many would consider to be quintessentially English. Loach’s characteristic use of realism within the plot and the portrayal of the lives of individuals with a general lack of hope and optimism are aspects widely seen within many of his films, but also English films in general. Yet the plot is not the only element that makes me believe ‘Kes’ to be an example of a classic English film; its production on a low budget and being shot on location with an amateur cast are aspects that I also often associate with many English films.

Withnail and I

When thinking of British Film, two things came to mind. Firstly, films that are immediately thought of as British, probably enveloping most film styles from Richard Curtis or Guy Ritchie films to Shane Meadows, Danny Boyle etc. Secondly, within this, there are films that feel genuinely and distinctly British. The example that springs to my mind is the 1986 film Withnail and I. Steeped in British culture to the point of caricature, Withnail and I spans different areas of the U.K with regards to class, culture and geography, presenting an image of the real U.K very familiar, if not nostalgic, to British people throughout. Set in the 60s, it is portrayed through a crucial era for British culture, reflected in fashions and soundtrack. Accents of both the posh upper classes and regional working classes are a familiar sound to anyone who has an idea in mind of what a British accent sounds like. Furthermore, its low production costs create a sense of realism apart from that of Hollywood or the mainstream.

The Full Monty

The Full Monty is a quintessentially ‘English’ film.  It is not a glamorous or bright setting that one might expect in an American comedy. Instead, it is set in Sheffield during a time of widespread unemployment and despair as the steel industry declined.  Part of what makes this film English is how a potentially depressing story is presented with such humour. The film is rooted in reality dealing with subjects such as unemployment, suicide, depression, impotence, custody over children and marital problems.  Yet the film can be placed firmly within the comedy genre with memorable scenes such as the men waiting in line at the job centre dancing to ‘Hot Stuff’.  The language in the film also reflects the Northern England setting, with the all-British cast using words such as ‘nesh’ and ‘jennel’ that are very specific colloquialisms. The title itself is also a specifically English phrase. The film’s cast and crew are all British which is part of the reason why the film has a particular British attitude and sense of humour.

28 Days Later

‘28 Days Later’ I believe is an archetypal ‘British film. In a way although it deals with ‘an apocalypse’/ Armageddon it is a sort of homage to England, both its landscape and its character. It has a predominantly British cast and is directed by a British director, Danny Boyle almost famous for such British classics such as ‘Trainspotting’. It was also written by a ‘Brit’, who has collaborated with the director on several occasions. Most of all, it is entirely set in Britain (apart from a scene at the end) and has identifiable landmarks as well as little references such as ‘motorways’ and the Great British Countryside. Again some of the language/ colloquialisms/ slang makes it identifiably British. One can actually look at its sequel ’28 Weeks Later’ and see the comparison in how ‘British’ each one is. The sequel is now directed by a foreign director, and features a cast which divides between British and American. It will be interesting to see if one can identify it as a British film and what argument would be put across.

Four Weddings and a Funeral

A bright example for pure British cinema awesomeness (at least for a foreigner like me) is definitely 'Four Weddings and a Funeral'. It basically depicts a period of personal growth in the life of the protagonist - Charles. The true British theme in the film is the unique English atmosphere in which the character manages to achieve his own personal growth. It stands for a typical, down-to-earth atmosphere which is much more likely to fall into either a cold and meaningless extreme or a particularly witty and humorous extreme than to stay balanced. The specific sense of humor depicted in the film is also another trait that makes the film British. While the American sense of humor had become an international standard throughout the years and people from all over the world could easily understand mainly due to the fact that the American lifestyle and culture are being taken into the lives of people from all across the world though the media, the British sense of humor remains specific and is easy to be understood mainly by the British people (even though it is much more rewarding that way when the foreigners are getting used to it) and this is also a pure British trait of this film.

Bridget Jones's diary

It might be the fact that I have only arrived in September and naturally I still do not know England half as much as people who lived here forever, that the first movie came to my mind in connection with 'britishness' was Bridget Jones's diary . It reflects on modern English and single lifestyle in a slightly silly and comical way. Most of its events take place in London and the casting is typically from British Cinema, including actors such as Colin Firth (who played in 'Shakespeare in Love' and in the TV mini-series 'Pride and Prejudice') or Hugh Grant (who acted in 'Sense and Sensibility' 1995 and in 'The English Man Who Went Up a Hill But Came Down a Mountain') . What I found interesting in Bridget Jones's diary that beside the story it also represents the class differences or rather the social background of the characters, putting an emphasis on the education (indicated by the educated Mr Darcy and the less educated Bridget Jones) that, I think, is a key concept in defining "what is English".

A Room For Romeo Brass

This is a Shane Meadows film which is one thing that qualifies it as British. He is a director from Burton on Trent in Derbyshire (my hometown! About half an hour from Warwick) and sets most of his films in or around this area. This use of location shooting also makes Romeo Brass a British film to me. The main cast are all British also, as are the crew. The film focuses on two young boys as their frienship is put to the test by the intrusion of local outcast Morell, played by Paddy Considine, also from Burton (my mate met him.) Morell obsessively pursues romance with Romeo's older sister Ladine, unsuccessfully, and all this is set against a dreary, typically English background. Not only that but the film features many things that are quintessentially British; fish and chips, shell suits and thuggery. Many of the characters have regional accents such as Londoners and Brummies and use dialect and collaquailisms that would probably be lost on American audiences, words such as ''tosser'' ''mate'' and ''me duck'' a term of endearment that is idiosyncratic to Derbyshire. What makes the film British is the fact that it stars Brits, is made by Brits and filmed in Britain. Most importantly however it is funded by the Arts Council of England, making it a fully British film.

The Ladykillers

Ealing studios are widely known for their vast output of the quintessential "English" films. Many of the films made under the British studios direction often dealt with post war themes of social decadence and the desire for political change, particularly true of films such as "Kind hearts and coronets", "Passport to Pimlico" and "TheLadykillers". The ladykillers itself is a prime example of English cinema, the film is set in post war London and focuses on a group of crooks who attempt to kill off an old lady in order to take possession of her house and wealth. fundamentally the films themes are dark and menacing, yet like many films produced under Ealing studios, humour and satire are often employed as narrative tools that offset this focus on violence, whilst creating a cinematic quirkiness associated primarily with English film. Films such as The Ladykillers often portray England and her Capital by focusing on working class sensibilities and stereotypes, which tend to give a realistic look at British society as apposed to a Hollywood style glamorisation of the same.

English Cinema by Ellie

English cinema often gives its audience a view into a dark and seedy underworld; it is portrayed as a 'rough and tough' society, where men are overtly masculine and women have little say. On screen England is seen to have a violent culture; the capital especially, where criminals and unsavoury characters own the streets. Guy Ritchie's classic film Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels is a prime example of English cinema; the main male protagonists are violent and involved in dirty deeds, yet somehow maintain that certain English male charm and humour. the film gives us insight to a dangerous side of society, which many English films do; they are highly associated with a world that is seen as taboo and display our nation as something to be feared.

Week 8

We are moving into the second unit of Modes of Reading, entitled 'Nation, Culture, Place'. The main lectures will be given by Dr. Pablo Mukherjee, and the unit information can be found here. As before we will be focusing our discussions on film and television. We will use the ideas raised in the lectures and readings to investigate different answers to the question 'What do we mean by English cinema?'

Please try to read Colin MacInnes' Absolute Beginners by next week (ideally by the lecture tomorrow) as I would like to discuss some ideas about this piece of work.

For next Monday's seminar, I would like you to indicate a film that immediately comes to mind when you think about English cinema. In about 150-words I'd like you to note some thoughts about what might make it 'English' - don't worry about constructing an argument or anything as sophisticated as that!

To get you started - here is the trailer to Shane Meadows' aptly-titled 'This Is England'. This is a film that I would whole-heartedly recommend anyway, and may generate some interesting ideas so do see it if you can (I'm happy to organise a screening in the department if enough people are interested, so do reply if you are!).

Index to 'Examples of Burke's sublime'

For week 4, I asked all students to 'Take one section from the Burke essay, and describe in about 150 words one moment from a film or television programme (of your choice) that exemplifies the characteristic he describes.' Again, for revision purposes, I've collected all the responses here:

Michelle Cheung - 'Obscurity and Psycho'

Laura Dodds - 'Obscurity and Eraserhead'

Damon Hannis - 'Vastness, Infinity and 2001: A Space Odyssey'

Alfred Joyner - 'Sound, Loudness and Psycho'

Jack Porter - 'Feeling, Pain and Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children'

Ellie Prime - 'Power and Hotel Rwanda

Lucy Reeves - 'Power and The Pianist'

Ed Smith - 'Power and There Will Be Blood'

Krisztina Szemerey - 'Vastness, Infinity and The Lion King'

Kristina Tarasova - 'Sound, Loudness and Funny Games

When they are collated together like this, it's clear there is such an interestingly diverse selection of films here. If you end up writing about the sublime, it may be worth returning to this list and judging which you believe to create a 'sublime experience' and which do not. This may help you to think about what exactly you think of as a sublime experience.