the question

what films if any, represent coherent british national identity?

[ 11. January 2004, 11:52: Message edited by: DB7 ]

bb8

Rob Compton

The Demi-Paradise (wartime, starring Laurence Olivier)

Steve Crook

Which British national identity do you want?
Is there one coherent British national identity?

Steve

Steve Crook

PaPAS

DB7

Passport to Pimlico (1949).

Steve Crook

Connie Pemberton: We always were English and we always will be English and it's just because we ARE English that were're sticking up for our right to be Bergundians.

But is that an example of Englishness or just Londoners?

Steve

Steve Crook

PaPAS

DB7

Not really, if you head North to Scotland Whisky Galore covers similar ground in it's depiction of working class togetherness and resistance to government bureaucracy. Like the Burgundian's they don't really see themselves as law-breakers - more as opportunists taking advantage of providence.
.
The fuel protests of a few years back were ignited by that same sense of gentle rebellion (unlike many of the other protests that are instigated by large organisations and descend into violence), and once again the Army was sent into action to try and restore law and order.

It is of course always a short-lived small victory. :) (btw, was this a hoax?)

Of the current filmmakers Leigh and Loach have produced some great fragments of British life and apathy to social problems (a multicultural society in Secrets & Lies, youth alienation in Kes) but both often fail to balance out the bleakness with humour. (this must be when Timothy Spall is unavailable)