Alternative British List

[Via_Chicago]

By that line of reasoning, should we also exclude Alberto Cavalcanti because he was Brazilian and not British, even though he made English-language films for that most English of film studios, Ealing?

[Cold Bishop]

Is Blow Up a British film because it features British actors and locations? Tricky but personally I feel that Blow Up is exactly that kind of International film which is becoming more popular these days it cannot be counted as any particular nation's cinema it is as much Italian as English or Greek or Spanish or whatever you want.

I don't know... I agree, Blow-Up is one of those films that really do feel International, but at the same time, I also feel that the film couldn't have really have been made elsewhere. The Mod Culture of London was absolutely essential to the final film as is, and for that reason, I really do have no problem choosing this as a British film.

Which brings me to another film that really should be American, but which due to the IMDB listing, I'll have no problem voting for on this list (at least this one has a British director): Petulia.

[domino harvey]

Which brings me to another film that really should be American, but which due to the IMDB listing, I'll have no problem voting for on this list (at least this one has a British director): Petulia.

Didn't someone run into the opposite problem when trying to list it in the alt-AFI list?

[Cold Bishop]

Which brings me to another film that really should be American, but which due to the IMDB listing, I'll have no problem voting for on this list (at least this one has a British director): Petulia.

Didn't someone run into the opposite problem when trying to list it in the alt-AFI list?

Yes, Michael I believe, who seems to absolutely adore the film (and why shouldn't he?).

[Awesome Welles]

By that line of reasoning, should we also exclude Alberto Cavalcanti because he was Brazilian and not British, even though he made English-language films for that most English of film studios, Ealing?

Yes but Brazil didn't ruin the film industry for Britain as America did. So much so that the British had to implement a law just so a portion of films could be shown in Britain were also made by the British (the Cinematographic Films Act of 1927).

So it's quite a personal thing and I don't expect anyone else to feel the same way.

[souvenir]

Which brings me to another film that really should be American, but which due to the IMDB listing, I'll have no problem voting for on this list (at least this one has a British director): Petulia.

Richard Lester is American actually, though he worked in and is usually associated more strongly with England.

[Cold Bishop]

Which brings me to another film that really should be American, but which due to the IMDB listing, I'll have no problem voting for on this list (at least this one has a British director): Petulia.

Richard Lester is American actually, though he worked in and is usually associated more strongly with England.

Really?! I swear I've seen the man speak with a british accent?

[tavernier]

...just like Madonna.

[Cold Bishop]

Well, it helps prove my earlier point... he may be from Philadelphia, but I'll be damned if anyone says The Knack isn't a British film.

[mteller]

This thread pretty much proves how silly it is to chop up cinema by country.

[Cinetwist]

It just proves how silly extreme auteurism is. If, like fsimeoni said, people are sensible and use their discretion, there's no problem. It's very simple really. Cavalcanti, Lester and Korda made lots of British films and the fact that they're not British is irrelevant. Hitchcock made a lot of British and American masterpieces and it is completely clear what came from where.

[Awesome Welles]

I know everyone is busy with the holiday period upon us so with the new outline for submission dates for various lists I am proposing 31 March 2008 as the deadline for this list.

[nyasa]

The Mod Culture of London.....

Which reminds me: Quadrophenia would be on my list. In the lower reaches, but on it nevertheless.

[NABOB OF NOWHERE]

The Mod Culture of London.....

Which reminds me: Quadrophenia would be on my list. In the lower reaches, but on it nevertheless.

Just for the record no way does Blow Up represent 'Mod Culture' which had its class base very very far from the Swinging London Chelsea set on display here. A scene with the Yardbirds does not a 'mod' film make. They were by this time catering for a more dilletante upper class arriviste mob altogether. And if that cap fits then Antonioni 's wearing it too.
That's not a swipe at either the director or the film both which I enjoy immensely - just splitting blow-waved teased hairs that's all.

[Cold Bishop]

The Mod Culture of London.....

Which reminds me: Quadrophenia would be on my list. In the lower reaches, but on it nevertheless.

Just for the record no way does Blow Up represent 'Mod Culture' which had its class base very very far from the Swinging London Chelsea set on display here. A scene with the Yardbirds does not a 'mod' film make. They were by this time catering for a more dilletante upper class arriviste mob altogether. And if that cap fits then Antonioni 's wearing it too.
That's not a swipe at either the director or the film both which I enjoy immensely - just splitting blow-waved teased hairs that's all.

Semantics, semantics... "Mod Culture" writes a whole lot better than "Swinging London dilettante upper class arriviste culture" and people get the idea.

[NABOB OF NOWHERE]

Which reminds me: Quadrophenia would be on my list. In the lower reaches, but on it nevertheless.

Just for the record no way does Blow Up represent 'Mod Culture' which had its class base very very far from the Swinging London Chelsea set on display here. A scene with the Yardbirds does not a 'mod' film make. They were by this time catering for a more dilletante upper class arriviste mob altogether. And if that cap fits then Antonioni 's wearing it too.
That's not a swipe at either the director or the film both which I enjoy immensely - just splitting blow-waved teased hairs that's all.

Semantics, semantics... "Mod Culture" writes a whole lot better than "Swinging London dilettante upper class arriviste culture" and people get the idea.

I think you've left out the adjective 'wrong' before the word idea but feel free to cruise through a semantic free life with all the pitfalls that are beset by ignorance.
Let's face it semantics is pretty much the common curency on this forum. After all there might even be people who consider a cold bishop to be a euphemism for a shrivelled prick

[nyasa]

For my part, I know exactly what a Mod is: I was beaten up by a group of them when I was in my early teens. And Blow Up certainly has nothing to do with the Mods. I took Cold Bishop's comment to be an unspecific reference to modern/youth culture.

[Cinetwist]

Not to get all protective about it but mod culture was a distinctly working class thing. A million miles away from the world of Blow-Up.

[NABOB OF NOWHERE]

1. The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp
2. I Know Where I'm Going
3. Black Narcissus
4. A Matter of Life and death
5. Barry Lyndon
6. Vera Drake
7. Performance
8.The Servant
9.Kes
10.Blue
11.Peeping Tom
12.Edge of the World
13.Whisky Galore!
14.The Red Shoes
15.Saturday Night and Sunday Morning
16.Get Carter
17.A Taste of Honey
18.The Ladykillers
19.Distant Voices, Still Lives
20.The Third Man
21. If...
22. Night Mail
23. Brief Encounter
24.Don't Look Now
25.The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner
26. Diary for Timothy
27.Listen to Britain
28.Brighton Rock
29.Colourbox
30.Fallen Idol
31.Hue and Cry
32.Repulsion
33.A Clockwork Orange
34.The Lavender Hill Mob
35. Deep End
36.Long day closes
37.Séance on a wet afternoon
38.Fires Were Started
39.I'm All Right Jack
40.The Cruel Sea
41.Carve her name with pride
42.The Go-Between
43. Sabotage
44.Blue Murder at St.Trinians
45.Accident
46.Oliver Twist
47.It always rain on Sunday
48.A kid for two farthings
49.Blackmail
50.The 39 Steps

[Jean-Luc Garbo]

Nabob, is #10 there Blue as in Jarman's film? If so, glad to see it on someone's top ten here.

[NABOB OF NOWHERE]

Nabob, is #10 there Blue as in Jarman's film? If so, glad to see it on someone's top ten here.

Absolutely. One where the lack of vision is pure vision....or some such paradoxical blether.

[Awesome Welles]

Thanks for getting the ball rolling Nabob. Just a reminder to anyone else wishing to participate - lists can be posted here or sent to me directly via PM.

Thanks.

[yoshimori]

13 from the original list:

1. Greenaway 1985 - A Zed and Two Noughts
2. Kubrick 1975 - Barry Lyndon
3. Lester 1968 - Petulia
4. Antonioni 1966 - Blow-up
5. Lester 1964 - A Hard Day's Night
6. Watkins 1974 - Edvard Munch
7. Roeg 1973 - Don't Look Now
8. Cammell & Roeg 1970 - Performance
9. Ramsay 1999 - Ratcatcher
10. Greenaway 1988 - Drowning by Numbers
11. Roeg 1976 - The Man who Fell to Earth
12. Broomfield 1992 - Aileen Wuornos: The Selling of a Serial Killer
13. Greenaway 1993 - The Baby of Mâcon
14. Monty Python 1969 - Monty Python, episodes 1-45
15. Russell 1971 - The Devils
16. Jones 1983 - The Meaning of Life
17. Roeg 1983 - Eureka
18. Gilliam 1985 - Brazil
19. Polanski 1966 - Cul-de-sac
20. Jones 1974 - Monty Python and the Holy Grail
21. Greenaway 1980 - The Falls
22. Kubrick 1971 - A Clockwork Orange
23. Ramsay 2002 - Morvern Callar
24. Loach 1971 - Family Life
25. Reed 1953 - A Man Between
26. Davies 1992 - The Long Day Closes
27. Losey 1970 - The Go-Between
28. Cox 1986 - Sid and Nancy
29. Davies 2000 - House of Mirth
30. Loach 1994 - Ladybird, Ladybird
31. Loach 1970 - Kes
32. Richardson 1969 - Hamlet [not the Olivier version]
33. Loach 1981 - Looks and Smiles
34. Menges 1988 - A World Apart
35. Broomfield 1988 - Driving Me Crazy
36. Davies 1988 - Distant Voices, Still Lives
37. Potter 2004 - Yes
38. Russell 1969 - Women in Love
39. Hitchcock 1936 - Secret Agent
40. Losey 1967 - Accident
41. Powell 1946 - A Matter of Life and Death
42. Hitchcock 1936 - Sabotage
43. Roeg 1980 - Bad Timing
44. Schlesinger 1967 - Far from the Madding Crowd
45. Leigh 2004 - Vera Drake
46. Schlesinger 1971 - Sunday, Bloody Sunday
47. Broomfield 1991 - The Leader, His Driver, and His Driver's Wife
48. Lean 1962 - Lawrence on Arabia
49. Polanski 1965 - Repulsion
50. Hitchcock 1940 - Foreign Correspondent

[Awesome Welles]

6. Watkins 1974 - Edvard Munch

I did say use your discretion I'm not sure what the consensus is on Watkins' post Privilege films I just want to throw this out there so people know whether they should include films on their lists or whether other people are omitting them and so skewing the voting.

So is [post Privilege] Watkins in or out? Personally I'd love to include The Gladiators on my list.

[Gropius]

6. Watkins 1974 - Edvard Munch

So is [post Privilege] Watkins in or out?

Edvard Munch is listed on the IMDB as a Sweden/Norway production. It would be a considerable stretch to describe it as a British film, and I doubt Watkins would want to either. Similarly, Punishment Park is American, La Commune French.