Download - British Cinema 2
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Selling the Brits
How are images of Britain used to marketfilms?
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Island People (1940)
What image of Britainis being shown here?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rOva5I4e1GUhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rOva5I4e1GUhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rOva5I4e1GUhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rOva5I4e1GU -
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'A Green and Pleasant land' idealised visions of Britain
'Heritage' cinema
Literary adaptations
'Urban fairytale'
UK film used to reinforce patriotism (for
domestic audience)
UK film used as a tourist marketingstrategy
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9JMuyzm3JRUhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9JMuyzm3JRU -
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Heritage cinema Term used to present a particular style of
costume drama Presents the past as spectacle museum
aesthetic where the past is displayed for
visual pleasure The past and our relationship with it is not
questioned or criticised
The Mise en scene is more significant thanthe narrative or plot.
Patriotic vision of Britain
Popular when British national identity isquestioned. WWII and 1980s
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Why do you think these idealised images aresuccessful?
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Idealised images of Britain
Conforms to US market's stereotype of theBritish 'Anglophilia'.
Reinforces nostalgic vision of Britain and
British values to domestic audience
'Escapist'/positive representation of modernBritain
'Literary' status treated as 'prestige' filmsof an 'intelligent' audience.
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Conventions to spot:
Polite, reserved, aristocratic, cockney,honourable
Upper middles class lifestyles
Romantic vision of the past Literary associations
Sumptuous costume
Sanitised view of Britain.
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'Gritty Realism'
Opposite of Heritage cinema critical ofBritish life, not reinforcing patriotic values(Trainspotting 'It's shite being Scottish')
Challenging to audience's comfort zones:Unflinching portrait of the harsh reality ofmodern Britain
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Gritty Realism
Often shockingexamination of thedark side of human
behaviour Deals with social
problems and oftenfocuses on working
or 'underclass'characters
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Bullet Boy
Watch the clip - what elements mark this aslow budget social realism?
How would this appeal to a UK audience
rather than a US audience?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2MislEHQhtkhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2MislEHQhtk -
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Bullet boy
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'Post-Heritage' cinema
Claire Monk's phrase for historical dramasthat 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 historicalsetting e.g. Wind That Shakes The Barley set in early 20th century Ireland, but thebrutality of the English soldiers to Irishcivilians is used an analogy to British troops
today.
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This is England
Meadows wants to portray the Britain neverseen in costume dramas and 'urbanfairytales'.
Mostly shoots in Nottingham and theMidlands.
Most characters are losers, low lives,criminals and juvenile delinquents butmany are sympathetic.
This is England directly addresses Britishnational identity through its examination of
racist skinhead culture of the 80s.
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Note what defines this film as Social Realism.
Why might this not be successful in the USA?
Does this matter?
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Class work:
Should there be a 'quota' system to ensureBritish films are not drowned out by big-budget Hollywood movies?
Do British films today reflect an accurate oridealised vision of society?
Is British cinema in crisis?
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Task: Categories of Film funding
Go on the BFI website.
How many types of funding are there?
What are the categories?