Which British film classics wouldn't have been made today?

[batman]

Originally Posted by Beaty1961 That's a very interesting idea, ML. How do you think it would be different? -- I'll take a guess and say that the social taboos that was at the heart of the 'tragic' romance would not have been an issue these days. Is this what you meant? (Glad you brought this film up - it's my mother favourite. :) )

Some people have claimed that Coward originally wrote it about two men. The Young Lovers is another film that has had this scenario put forward.

[Moor Larkin]

Originally Posted by Beaty1961 That's a very interesting idea, ML. How do you think it would be different? -- I'll take a guess and say that the social taboos that was at the heart of the 'tragic' romance would not have been an issue these days. Is this what you meant? (Glad you brought this film up - it's my mother favourite.

What Batman said......... on my mischievous level

...............but what you said also occurred to me. Nowadays movie-makers would deem it implausible. I do wonder if, in fact, it was implausible at the time but the public mores of the cinema then merely allowed the viewer to "believe" it.

You could make it in reverse of course, where the ease of conducting a full-on affaire is made plainly available, but the protagonists elect to 'say no' because of all the damage it could wreak around them......... maybe that was part of the original ethos too.

[Beaty1961]

Originally Posted by Moor Larkin What Batman said......... on my mischievous level ...............but what you said also occurred to me. Nowadays movie-makers would deem it implausible. I do wonder if, in fact, it was implausible at the time but the public mores of the cinema then merely allowed the viewer to "believe" it. You could make it in reverse of course, where the ease of conducting a full-on affaire is made plainly available, but the protagonists elect to 'say no' because of all the damage it could wreak around them......... maybe that was part of the original ethos too.

This is a very interesting train of thought, ML. And I brought my mother up for good reason...

It's very easy for us nowadays to believe that people didn't actually exist like those portrayed in 'Brief Encounter' and that it was a product of stereotyped ideals rather than realistic representation of lifestyles and morals of the time. But I believe that these middle class characters did actually exist.

Yes the morals and stiff upper-lip are affectations - but they are affectations that many people did actually try to adhere too.

My mother is a typical illustration of this type of character, who completely believed the scenario depicted in 'brief encounter' and also tried to live up to this sort of 'Britishness'.

It's very easy for us to ridicule and be sceptical as to whether this type of Britain actually existed, but as with most belief systems (which the cult of 'Britishness' is) it exists if people believe it does.

I know this all sounds a it thin (academically) using my mum as an example of how the characterisation may have been accurate - to a certain segment of the population - but I think we have to be prepared to accept these were simpler times.

Honestly, my mum actually thought like these people! :)

The idea of it being two men is absolutely fantastic - I would love to see a play based on this (it would say a lot about Britishness and our cultural 'reserve'). --- A kind of British 'Broke Back Mountain'?

Excellent discussion. Cheers.

[Straff]

Given today's schools, 'The Happiest Days of Your Lfe' would seem rather implausible.

[Steve Crook]

Originally Posted by Straff Given today's schools, 'The Happiest Days of Your Lfe' would seem rather implausible.

But most schools weren't like that even in 1950 at a posh boarding school like Nutbourne College

Steve

[Straff]

Originally Posted by Steve Crook But most schools weren't like that even in 1950 at a posh boarding school like Nutbourne College Steve

In comparison to the priests who educated me, Alastair Sim dressed as a woman seems preferable

[Redstar]

There are many classics that could not or would not be made today, too many reasons to mention but different social mix of audiences, the directors, society has changed (not much for the better) Hobson's Choice I doubt would be made. It dealt with social issues in a light hearted but telling manner. The class system, drunkenness, endevour and northern culture.
Could "Tunes of Glory" be remade? Again it's an era that has been left behind, plus the system of regimental pride has been diluted.

[Steve Crook]

Originally Posted by Straff In comparison to the priests who educated me, Alastair Sim dressed as a woman seems preferable

That was St Trinians, not Nutbourne. Would you have been eligible to attend?

Steve

[Moor Larkin]

Originally Posted by Beaty1961 Honestly, my mum actually thought like these people!

I don't think that is necessarily a bad thing.

Knowing even less about your mum than I do Noel Coward, I suspect your mum would never have allowed a brief encounter to become such a full-blown affaire; requited or not.

But then which of us really knows our mum, in her hidden depths.......

[Beaty1961]

Originally Posted by Moor Larkin I don't think that is necessarily a bad thing. Knowing even less about your mum than I do Noel Coward, I suspect your mum would never have allowed a brief encounter to become such a full-blown affaire; requited or not. But then which of us really knows our mum, in her hidden depths.......

LOL...Amen!

It's interesting to think about British attitudes of the time, and whether they were 'real', or just affectations inspired by films of the time...

In the same way you could compare Americans of the time - how much of their 'gung ho' was inspired by Hollywood?

(I remember my father telling me about the first American GIs he encountered in North Africa during WWII. This was their first experience of the war, and he said they all acted like they were Jimmy Cagney and told the Brits that now they were in the war it would be over soon. Soon after they got their first real pasting by the experienced Germans and this got rid of a bit of their cockiness. But he - my Dad - never forgot that the Yanks seemed to think that they were in some sort of John Wayne movie.)

Was 'Brief Encounter' a morality play? Obviously people of the time DID have affairs, and many were NOT influenced by notions of 'British morality'. But certainly a great many peoples' actions were influenced by how they supposed they were meant to behave.

Do the British really believe in the 'stiff upper lip' attitude? - I'm not sure. Maybe we should ask the Germans? ;)

[Steve Crook]

Originally Posted by Beaty1961 Do the British really believe in the 'stiff upper lip' attitude? - I'm not sure. Maybe we should ask the Germans? ;)

Why not ask the Americans? It's of American origin. The earliest known example is in a publication called the Massachusetts Spy for 14 June 1815; "I kept a stiff upper lip, and bought [a] license to sell my goods."

P. G. Wodehouse's comic novel Stiff Upper Lip, Jeeves, 1963 parodies this apparent British trait. But have the British ever applied it to themselves, except in jest?

Steve

[samkydd]

It's hard to say what British films would not be made today because the Americans have remade so many of them very badly indeed. The remakes of The Italian Job and The Ladykillers possibly the two worst cases of a complete waste of time and money in film history.

When modern film makers voice their ideas (or mostly other people's ideas from many years ago) to get funding for a film they should employ someone like me to slap some sense into them, "No, we do not want another sodding remake, go away and come up with an original good idea or get the f*** out of the industry!"

But if this generation of film makers was mentored by the 80s generation of film makers, then it doesn't bode well for the future in terms of originality and creativity. The ability to con the public is the most sought after talent these days!

[Everett Sloane]

I think there might be a certain amount of difficulty securing the finance and distribution for Old Bones of the River nowadays.

[Straff]

Originally Posted by Steve Crook That was St Trinians, not Nutbourne. Would you have been eligible to attend? Steve

Sadly not, though I did make some uncredited appearances (not to mention hasty exits) in the 6th Form Common Room of the corresponding girls' school a mile away. And all we did was drink coffee and and talk about Kerouac. Such innocence.

[HIPPIEDAVE]

Alot of stuff would not have been made if Loony PC Brigade had been around years ago