danielle

Does Britain have a style? can we seperate it from other film styles? if so how?

i'm doing a study on national cinema and would be grateful for anyones help and opinions. .

Steve Crook

That sounds like a typical question set by a film studies lecturer.
Will you get any marks if you suggest that it's a silly idea and that any style of film can be made in any country?

There are some styles that are more likely to be found in one country than in most other countries. But I definitely wouldn't say that is the only style in that country.
India doesn't only make Bollywood films
America doesn't only make Westerns
Britain doesn't only make costume dramas

Steve

DB7

Not really, Peter Greenaway and Shane Meadows are British but stylistically poles apart. The only limitations on most British filmmakers is a lack of budget putting constraints on their visions; the Americans get to paint on a bigger canvas.

Nick Dando

Yes, they generally have more canvas and more paint. Or is it pixels these days?

Nick

danielle

thanx for your opinions,
i totally agree that one country doesn't just have one style, but could you say there certain styles that Britain has undertaken that you can seperate from other 'nations'?

ChristineCB

Maybe there's a stronger argument to be made by electing an industry leader and saying, This Leader has influenced more of the nation's filmmakers" and perhaps list out the access points that his 'followers' have linked into.

I don't know that I could name a current leading British filmmaker.

There's an older thread about Brit Spy Films and I was given a grand tour of excellent '50s, '60s and '70s offerings, but recently, "James Bond" is about it. Richard Burton's stayed in the cold. Harry Palmer needs a lot more than a billion dollars these decades. And when we write about Monty's double, Moor brings up tearaway trousers.

But I think it'd be easier to name a leader and build an argument for his influences rather than a single style based on shorelines and Custom desks.

EDIT..
I can say that my husband is sorely disappointed after reading about the lack of English costume dramas because he just got his French Upstairs Maid costume from the cleaners, and I was going to send it to Steve's wife. Chains, blindfolds and gag would have been included. Steve will never know what he missed-! Ahhh, if only Merchant Ivory were running at full steam...

DB7

Depends if you mean British-born Ridley Scott or somebody who makes British films.

ChristineCB

(whew - at least it bears no spelling similar to S-H-A-U-N types...!!)

Wolfgang

British cinema does seem to be informed by social class thinking (barring our 1939 to 1945 conflict) more than its Hollywood counterpart. With British film it is usually quite clearly positioned in that kitchen sink realm of reality (which is often contemporary) or set in upperclass high society (which is mostly period drama). I suppose period drama does tend to have upperclass leanings because it mostly comes from old novels, and you did not get many educated peasants before 20th century, so writing did usually reflect that section of society that produced it. It is harder to understand British cinema's preoccupation with working class living as much as it does though.

Moor Larkin

Now, opinions I'm good at.

The 'British' style I would opine as intimate and of the theatre. Most of our classic actors came from the stage and so, possibly did most of the crews. The need to drive drama by the characters and their conversations seem to me to have been what informed most of the British output. They were filming Plays, with all the benefits and pitfalls that this created.

I'm not sure any other nation had the depth of Repertory Theatre that existed in Britain either side of World War 2.

[code]http://www.flickr.com/photos/29487363@N02/sets/72157606700675506/code]

ChristineCB

Wolf's contention that Brit style displays "class" isn't something I agree with. There are a lot of examples to support his contention, but Moor's notion of "intimate studies" seems to strike more of a chord. When I mention Brit films to my Texas friends, they talk about narrowly focused films where intimate studies of characters are portrayed. Plenty of class distinction in there, I know, but that's not what comes to mind. I've seen class distinction movies from all over.

Or perhaps Wolf's correct because I do NOTICE class-distinction films from all over.