The Brit Pack
‘British films’ – the term is bound to conjure a variety of images in your head, whether of the romantic comedies of Hugh Grant, the gritty realism of Mike Leigh, or the chav soap opera that is ‘Kidulthood’ (2006).
But what exactly is it that makes us define a style of film as being British? And how is it that a single film, director or actor can come to be synonymous with the cinematic output of a whole country? British film has always put a unique spin on Hollywood genres and once every few years this becomes a phenomenon that sends British movie stock skyrocketing, adding a new chapter to the book of British stereotypes.
We have to start our journey with that most British of genres, the period drama. Adaptations of Jane Austin, Charles Dickens, the Bronte sisters and their esteemed fellow literati have provided plenty of British icons. Through such stars as Emma Thompson and Keira Knightly the genre created the popular idea of the ‘English Rose’. These lovely ladies of manners were matched by the dashing leading men epitomised by Laurence Olivier and Ralph Fiennes, who were among the many greats who have all been seen strutting their stuff as Heathcliff.
This restrained and refined gentry provided a firm basis for British cinematic identity, but it was David Lean’s depictions of ‘stiff upper lip’ Britishness that really broadened the definition, and grabbed audiences in the process. What’s more, his accessible and wide-ranging depiction of British character took many forms, from the moving love story which made ‘Brief Encounter’ (1945) a timeless classic to the courageous prisoners of ‘Bridge over the River Kwai’ (1957).
One of his most famous creations was undoubtedly ‘Lawrence of Arabia’ (1962), played, oddly enough, by Irishman Peter O’Toole. His portrayal of T.E. Lawrence was to epitomise that pompous arrogance of the British Empire: statuesque, brusque and forthright, Lawrence hit the spot with audiences and stamped the stereotype of the British as global moralisers who always knew best.
But what exactly is it that makes us define a style of film as being British? And how is it that a single film, director or actor can come to be synonymous with the cinematic output of a whole country? British film has always put a unique spin on Hollywood genres and once every few years this becomes a phenomenon that sends British movie stock skyrocketing, adding a new chapter to the book of British stereotypes.
We have to start our journey with that most British of genres, the period drama. Adaptations of Jane Austin, Charles Dickens, the Bronte sisters and their esteemed fellow literati have provided plenty of British icons. Through such stars as Emma Thompson and Keira Knightly the genre created the popular idea of the ‘English Rose’. These lovely ladies of manners were matched by the dashing leading men epitomised by Laurence Olivier and Ralph Fiennes, who were among the many greats who have all been seen strutting their stuff as Heathcliff.
This restrained and refined gentry provided a firm basis for British cinematic identity, but it was David Lean’s depictions of ‘stiff upper lip’ Britishness that really broadened the definition, and grabbed audiences in the process. What’s more, his accessible and wide-ranging depiction of British character took many forms, from the moving love story which made ‘Brief Encounter’ (1945) a timeless classic to the courageous prisoners of ‘Bridge over the River Kwai’ (1957).
One of his most famous creations was undoubtedly ‘Lawrence of Arabia’ (1962), played, oddly enough, by Irishman Peter O’Toole. His portrayal of T.E. Lawrence was to epitomise that pompous arrogance of the British Empire: statuesque, brusque and forthright, Lawrence hit the spot with audiences and stamped the stereotype of the British as global moralisers who always knew best.
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