British Cinema

Séquence 7

Séance 1 :

(Hot Fuzz) 

Hot Fuzz is obviously a British movie. We can spot it thanks to the accent, to the police uniforms and vehicles. The landscapes are typically British, such as the towns and their life (festivals, church, pub…). It is a comedy with a lot of action and ironic and subtle dialogues. It is a caricature of different genres (detective, horror and action movies).

(Snapshot British Cinema)

1°/ The infographic presents the most successful British movies in the last twenty-five years, depending on their revenue at the box-office.
2°/ Stars Wars, Harry Potter and James Bond were the most profitable franchises in the previous decades. British cinema is accessible, young, dynamic and popular. It is modern and targets a large population.
3°/ Cinema is the 2nd largest contributor to economic growth in the service sector. The three big franchises often generate more than 100£ million for each film.
4°/ There are 4 criteria to follow. You need British practitioners (cast, writer, director…) a British content (story), British contributions (History, culture) and British locations (places).

(Hollywood UK)

Hollywood is in the USA but many famous series and movies have been shot and produced in the UK (studios or outside locations).

(10 signs you’re watching a British movie)

10 : the movie is set in London / myth : London is surrounded by fields. Shots of Big Ben, Parliament…

9 : swearing and insults. From the Royals to the gangsters.

8 : Cameos. Personalities appearing in movies, often as jokes.

7 : success of the have-nots, realizing impossible tasks.

6 : successful low-budget movies, hand-held technique.

5 : famous soundtrack, using songs that define the movie.

4 : foreign villains, bad characters from other countries.

3 : poor town in the north, representing poverty, joblessness, working-class.

2 : obscure and complex jokes, British sense of humor = refined and linked to the story.

1 : no happy ending, very realistic and harsh. Emotional journey.

In American cinema, the ending is often a happy one. The jokes are easier to get, and the language is more polite. Movies have usually a bigger budget. In mainstream movies, the countryside is less represented.

Séance 2

It is a tensed and dramatic scene. Ruksana is coming to Roisin to talk to her about the relationship she has with her brother Casim. That relationship brought shame and dishonor on her family, and she asks Roisin to stop seeing Casim. He was supposed to marry another woman from the same community and culture.

A° The scene takes place in a park where a group of boys are playing football. They are teasing Jess who quickly reacts by showing them her football skills. They are all from Indian origins. Her mother observed the scene, and she breaks in and the whole gale comes to a halt.

B° She is furious because one of the boys was physically in contact with her. She reproaches Jess her outfit that showed legs and also the fact that she can’t even cook.

C° She declares she will stop playing with boys join an all-girls team, her parents are relieved, but they get angry again when they learn that the coach is a man. It was alright for them that she played when she was little, but now she should behave in a more “respectful” way.

D° She is expected to marry at some point and be a respectful and humble wife. She shouldn’t bring dishonor to her family.

The main character is a young black man who wants to enter the police force in UK in the 1980s. He wants to change things in the force and in society in general. He faces many issues in that integration, with his family, with his colleagues, with his community and the citizens. The title is a reference

A° He wants to create a drama series about the real struggles of the first generation immigrates from the West Indies. It was important to do it then since it was an ageing population. He wanted to get their memories before it was too late. It had t be from true facts.

B° It  coincided with the rise of Black Lives Matter in the USA and with the killing of George Floyd by the American police during a routine check.

C° For non-black people, it is presented as a way for them to learn about the struggles of black community and to understand the issues of the present. For black people, it is a crucial way to get in touch with their own (hi)story.

Séance 3

The main picture is the cover of The Beatles album Abbey Road (1469). It has been reproduced many times by different artists or by people wanting to reenact the scene.

A° On the poster, we can see a man crossing the famous Abbey Road iconic place. He is carrying a guitar on his back. He is probably a musician. The title (“Yesterday”) is right in the middle. It is referring to a famous Beatles song. The other lines introduce the movie, Jack can bring the Beatles back to life because he remembers all their songs (metaphorically or literally?).

B° After a global event (system breakdown?), the world took a different turn and the beatless never existed. Still, Jack exists in a sort of a parallel universe and will become a world star. It is a uchronie.

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