British Cinema Since 1990

Me di a I ssues an d Deb ates British cinema since 1990

Requirements… ‘Contemporary British Cinema’ is part of the exam in ‘Media Issues and Debates’ 2 hours 3 topics – answer on two of them.  British Cinema Since 1990  Broadcast News and Current Affairs  The Magazine Industry

Contemporary British Film What are the issues? What is debated? • • • •

What is a British film? The British film industry. Britain and Hollywood. Genre and narrative in contemporary British film. • Elements of realism. • Representations of contemporary Britain

Some recent exam questions 2003: British Cinema Since 1990 What factors determine whether or not a film can be defined as ‘British’?

2004 British Cinema Since 1990 What factors have contributed to the success, in the UK and/or abroad, of British films produced since 1990?

2005: British Cinema Since 1990 How far has the success of British films since 1990 been due to their representation of ‘Britishness’?

2005: British Cinema Since 1990 How far has the success of British films since 1990 been due to their representation of ‘Britishness’?

2006 British Cinema Since 1990

How has the British film industry managed to survive?

Make two lists… Make a list of British films that you have seen Make a list of British films that you have heard about. Are you sure that all the films you have listed are ‘British films’? How can you tell? What is a ‘British film’?

Why have a B riti sh ci nema in du stry?  Diff erent f rom Ho llywood and othe r na tional cine mas in t erm s of ideolog y and values.  Prov ides ‘us’ with a sens e of ident ity.  ‘We’ can relate to B ri tish film s m ore rea di ly.  Draws at te ntion to social iss ues in B ri tish life.  Raises m one y…prof it…t ax es.  Prov ides an o utlet fo r B ritish film -m aking an d prom otion al ta len t (acting, directing, tec hni cal ex pertise).

FU NDIN G BRI TI SH FI LMS There are no British studios that can finance their own films independently.

 Television companies (BBC, Channel Four)  The Film Council (in 1995 the British government    

allocated £84m to be spent over five years) British Screen Finance (grants up to £500,000 for projects have problems getting mainstream funding) Local funding (e.g. Screen Yorkshire, Glasgow Film Fund, London Production Fund) European Co-Production Fund (grants up to £500,000) American Co-Production (significant for some recent films)

Ho ll ywo od… • Big name star or stars • Glamorous representations of gender • Often idealistic representations of America • Clear narrative goal…and strong end closure • Shots/dialogue strongly motivated by narrative • CGI and other special fx • Strong sense of genre • Romantic interest/ heterosexual goal

and British cinema

British film genre since 1990 • Social Realist (Raining Stones, Nil By Mouth, Dirty Pretty Things) • Gangster (The Krays, Lock,Stock and Two Smoking Barrels) • Heritage (Sense and Sensibility, Elizabeth, Gosford Park) • Romantic Comedy (Sliding Doors, Notting Hill) • Horror/Thriller (The Hole, 28 Days Later… Shaun of the Dead?) • Animation (Wallace and Gromit)

So me of the mos t pop ul ar Bri ti sh f ilms s ince 199 0…

The Full Monty Bridget Jones’ Diary Four Weddings and a Funeral Notting Hill Love Actually Can you draw any conclusions from this list?

Exam preparation: finding examples Raining Stones – the scene with the loan shark Dirty Pretty Things – an outsider’s view of London Last Resort – the opening sequence …and Fever Pitch – the school, at the match, winning the league. Is Fever Pitch an example of social realism?

Realism and British Cinema

   

Reali sm: a style that aims to represent the ‘real world’ honestly and accurately. The term is central to discussions of British cinema. British rea list c ine ma v. escapist Hollywood films (or Hollywood-influenced films). Reali sm i s a com plex co nce pt be ca use … The concept is used across a range of art forms The concept can mean different things in different contexts (e.g. ‘social realism’ is a specific type of realism) Unlike other art styles, realism changes over time What appears to be realistic to one generation, may seem exaggerated or artificial to later audiences.

Cha rac teristic s of a realis t f il m An aesthetic of codes and conventions that the audience recognises as realist.  Loc ation s ho oting (th e ‘re al w orld’)  Eve ryd ay mis e en sc èn e  Natu ra list ic ac ting an d co stum e  Impr ov ise d dialog ue  Linke d t o rep res en ta tions of wor king cla ss ?

Raining Stones

What does Th e Fu ll Mo nty (1997)do? Is it just a funny film? Are there other reasons for its popularity? Dancing? Humour? Realistic portrayal of life? Being out of work? Friendship? Nudity?

THE FUL L MO NT Y …and the problems of defining realism  In the 1980s – a shift from class politics to the politics of race, gender, sexuality. Fewer images of collective action.  THE FULL MONTY : a ‘working-class film’ of the 1990s.  An upbeat narrative about the future of working-class men?  The reality of industrial and economic decline…  …and the optimism of THE FULL MONTY?  Working-class or underclass? Whatever it is, is it male or female?  Move away from economic, class concerns to loss of male confidence? Where is male self-doubt located in the film?

 Women are successful and are resented for usurping the male role…but are ultimately supportive.  The need for men to support each other is part of the film’s message…  …but what overcomes economic hardship?  What role does the use of comedy play?

The film moves to Broadway

The Full Monty: a few facts • Director: Peter Cattaneo. • Production companies: Twentieth Century Fox / Channel Four. • Budget: £2.2 million. • The film has taken in excess of £120 million at the box office worldwide. It was more successful than Jurassic Park in the UK. • Marketing: Fox spent over £850,000 promoting the UK release and to ensure good ‘word of mouth’ invited over 100,000 people to free preview screenings.

Working Title : a British success? Working Title – currently the most successful British film production company. Established in 1984…and still going! Strategy: to make films with American stars to appeal to an international market. Should the British film industry make culturally specific films which appeal to a British audience or broader, generic films that appeal to a wider market?

Success…  Wo rk ing T itle is started in 1984.  Begins collaboration with Channel Four Films: My Beautiful Launderette. 15 films produced during the 1980s.  Production deal with PolyGram Filmed Entertainment.  1991: Wo rk ing T itle sets up Hollywood office… 1992 PolyGram buys Working Title 1998 Universal buys PolyGram…a big increase in budget  Wo rk ing T itle retains autonomy in creative decisions but is owned by a media conglomerate.  Wo rk ing Ti tle can ride out commercial difficulties in a way that smaller British film production cannot.

Some Working Title films Film

Budget (£m)

Takings UK (£m)

1996 Bean

16. 2

18

1997 Elizabeth

13

5. 5

1998 Not ti ng Hill

15

31

2000 Bridget Jones

14

42

2001 About a Boy

13. 5

16. 9

2004 Lov e Ac tually

30

36. 2

2004 Wim bledon

20

6. 9

Richard Curtis and Working Title  Richard Curtis: co-wrote Blackadder and The Vicar of Dibley (both BBC).  Films: Four Weddings and a Funeral, Notting Hill, Bridget Jones’s Diary, Love, Actually.  Popular and commercially successful but..  …has been accused of creating a fantasy Britain  …has been criticised for relying on stereotypes  …has been criticised for being sentimental. Is the reason for the commercial success of these films internationally (and particularly in America) due to their representation of Britishness?

What are characteristics of a Richard Curtis / Working Title film? • • • • • • • •

Genre? Narrative? Plot twists? Ending? Ideology? Humour? Stars? Settings? Weather? Representation of race / gender/ disability?

Bridget Jones’s Diary The first twelve minutes

The last twelve minutes

Notting Hill Representation in Notting Hill Look at two extracts from the film: 1. The opening sequence 2. Honey’s birthday party Representation of Nott ing Hil l and of London in general Representation of clas s Representation of gender

Preparing for the exam Watch and make notes on how these notions are represented in at least one other Working Title film: - ‘Britishness’ (or ‘Englishness’) - youth and age - the world of work - gender and sexuality - class and wealth

SHAUN OF THE DEAD

Consider SHAUN OF THE DEAD (2004) in terms of  the type of film it is  how it shows ideas of ‘Britishness’  whether you can regard it as a ‘British film’  the reasons for its commercial success

SHAUN OF THE DEAD

Released 2004

Director: Edgar Wright Screenplay: Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg Genre: Comedy-Horror Stars: Simon Pegg, Kate Ashfield, Nick Frost, Dylan Moran, Bill Nighy, Penelope Wilton Filmed on location in London and at Ealing Studios.

Production: Working Title Films in association with Big Talk Productions Distributor: Universal Pictures “A ROMANTIC COMEDY. WITH ZOMBIES”

The Wrong Trousers (1993) Where w ould t he ‘W all ace and Gr omi t’ fi lms fi t i nto yo ur work on re ce nt British ci nema ? Th ink a bout th e ke y a re as we h ave st ud ied.

TRY LO OK ING AT www.wallaceandgromit.com for film clips and more information.

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What m akes a go od answ er? Remember the

Types of British film What makes a film ‘British’? Production and funding Marketing and distribution Where films are shown ese h t n o ti s e u q e h t Depending on re in u t a e f ld u o h s areas er. w s n a r u o y in s varying degree

need for debate. Refer to particular films to demonstrate your points. Where possible give facts and figures. Use media terminology.