A History of Britain through film

[belboid]

Kermode's Secrets of Cinema thingy last week went through British 'history' as told through film (ie, usually inaccurately). It was an interesting list, and, as I noted the titles down (I probably missed a couple) I seem to have seen 35 out of the 50. Most of the other fifteen look worth catching up with, tho not the stuff about bloody Victoria, Churchill or Liz2. A couple look absolutely dreadful, politically, but we all know Zull us a great film nevertheless, tho I doubt the same could be said for Gunga Din. No literary adaptations or Shakespeare (tho Richard III did get a brief mention). The twentieth century is only briefly covered, mostly showing how our idea of 'great Britons' is changing.

Accepting that, what key films and periods are missing? It actually covers every century from the last dozen or so, tho a tad heavy on Arthur, Robin Hood & H8/Liz1 (not all the films about them are included). There is only a little 'people's history' (which Kermode does recognise) and I am surprised at the lack of films about 'great Britons' who developed so much science and engineering. Boudica only appears in a TV movie, apparently. Bugger all pre-history.

(actually, Shakespeare and literary adaptations are fine to include, if they cover missing bits of actual British history)

Anyway, here's the list:

Roman & Dark Ages

Carry on Cleo
Viking Queen (if anyone knows where I can get a download...much appreciated)
Centurion
The Eagle
The Vikings
Alfred the Great
Excalibur
MP & the Holy Grail

Medieval

A Knights Tale
Becket
The Lion in Winter
The Adventures of Robin Hood
Robin & Marion
Braveheart
Ironclad
The Canterbury Tales

Tudor

A Man for All Seasons
The Private Life of H8
Fire over England
Elizabeth
Mary, Queen of Scots
Anonymous

Civil War

Cromwell
Witchfinder General
A Field in England

Eighteenth Century

The Wicked Lady
The Favourite
Tom Jones
Barry Lyndon
Belle
Peterloo

Victorian

Comrades
The Young Victoria
The Charge of the Light Brigade
Zulu
Gunga Din
Mrs Brown
Victoria & Abdul

Twentieth Century

The Life & Death of Colonel Blimp
Darkest Hour
Dunkirk
Kings Speech
The Queen
Buster
The Krays
Legend
Rocketman
Blinded by the Light
Billy Elliott
Bohemian Rhapsody

 

[Pickman's model]

disappointed not to see 'the blood on satan's claw' beside 'witchfinder general'

also, for the victorians the indian mutiny / war of independence - however you wish to term it - was the subject of many novels which have now been forgotten. i can't offhand think of a film about the mutiny: there must be one though.

 

[belboid]

disappointed not to see 'the blood on satan's claw' beside 'witchfinder general'

Indeed. Well, almost, BoSC doesn't actually include any historical figures, iirr. Cinematically, the two definitely sit alongside each other.

 

[planetgeli]

I must be missing something if Rocketman and Bohemian Rhapsody are about British history but, e.g, I, Daniel Blake isn't.

 

[planetgeli]

Pride

 

[belboid]

I must be missing something if Rocketman and Bohemian Rhapsody are about British history but, e.g, I, Daniel Blake isn't.

well, yes, tho he is making the general point there that the worlds notion of 'great britons' is changing more than anything. Pride should be in there, tho it would also be really really easy to overbalance any such list with films from the comparatively recent past, and the Loach's (and the earlier kitchen sink films) weren't about actual historical events/people, as the others are meant to be.

 

[Reno]

Topsy-Turvey by Mike Leigh is a better musical biopic than any those Kermode comes up with.

 

[belboid]

Tipsy-Turvey by Mike Leigh is a better 20th Century musical biopic than any those Kermode cones up with.

except its not a film about the twentieth century. Would be a good inclusion though. And, similarly, Mr Turner.

 

[Reno]

except its not a film about the twentieth century. Would be a good inclusion though. And, similarly, Mr Turner.

I’d already edited it !

 

[belboid]

I’d already edited it !

Sorry, at least I never even mentioned your spelling

Have you seen Ironclad? I hadn't heard of it till I saw the program, and can't decide if it looks great or awful.

 

[Reno]

Sorry, at least I never even mentioned your spelling

Have you seen Ironclad? I hadn't heard of it till I saw the program, and can't decide if it looks great or awful.

I’m struggling with an iPad which is set to English and German autocorrect.

Ironclad is pretty poor, utterly unmemorable.

 

[The39thStep]

Might be struugling with Kermodes idea of history tbh. Anyway think the media and film industry give the Krays far more significance than they actually had tbh. The Great Train Robbery yes but Buster no , the more recent film/mini series was far better.
Peoples history : Rita Bob and Sue, Riff Raff , High Hopes would be in my list.

 

[belboid]

Works of fiction don't really count as history tho, even if they do depict 'the times' well

 

[Reno]

If there were to be no works of fiction, what are Colonel Blimp and Barry Lyndon doing on there ? Both are probably the best films in the list but Blimp was inspired by a comic book, Barry Lyndon was a fictional character, even if loosely based on a minor historical figure.

 

[Fez909]

Quest For Fire

Not definitively about Britain, but there's no proof it's not Britain, either. And it was filmed in Scotland, so it'll do for me.

Quest for Fire (film) - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[belboid]

If there were to be no works of fiction, what are Colonel Blimp and Barry Lyndon doing on there ? Both are probably the best films in the list but Blimp was inspired by a comic book, Barry Lyndon was a fictional character, even if loosely based on a minor historical figure.

fair point! And Tom Jones

 

[trabuquera]

It got terrible reviews but I have a soft spot for Restoration (1995) - which though sentimental and chocolate-box-y in places, had a terrific cast (with one glaring exception), some excellent production design and a real feel for the mysteries and beliefs of the period. Plus plague, a (not very good actually) Great Fire of London and excellent wig action. And even a few tiny barbs about the ruthlessness of regal logic and the uselessness of elite men.

 

[Pickman's model]

Works of fiction don't really count as history tho, even if they do depict 'the times' well

surprised you haven't flagged up 'a field in england' then

 

[belboid]

surprised you haven't flagged up 'a field in england' then

Throw in 'The Wicked Lady' and we can all agree Kermode's original stipulation turned out to be bollocks

 

[Reno]

24 Hour Party People is a far better musical biopic than Bohemian Rhapsody, as is Control.

Bright Star about John Keats by Jane Campion would have been a better 19th century inclusion than most Kermode can think of.

 

[Pickman's model]

Throw in 'The Wicked Lady' and we can all agree Kermode's original stipulation turned out to be bollocks

on my list you'd have carry on don't lose your head, carry on henry and carry on jack.

 

[fishfinger]

Suffragette

 

[The39thStep]

on my list you'd have carry on don't lose your head, carry on henry and carry on jack.

Post up your list

 

[Spandex]

also, for the victorians the indian mutiny / war of independence - however you wish to term it - was the subject of many novels which have now been forgotten. i can't offhand think of a film about the mutiny: there must be one though.

That's a really good point. For what is such a major episode in both British and Indian history you'd think it would've been picked over by film-makers more.

Wikipedia only lists 10 films on the 1857 rebellion/mutiny: 6 Indian, 1 Pakistani, 2 US (one silent from 1916 & one Rock Hudson adventure/romance) and one British film from last year that I've never heard of (The Warrior Queen of Jhansi).

It's like a big gap in historical filmmaking

 

[belboid]

on my list you'd have carry on don't lose your head, carry on henry and carry on jack.

I think the first fails under the (rather dubious) literary adaptation rule, henry is well covered. Jack though...

It does remind me about That Hamilton Woman, precious little else though. I'm surprised there's no proper film about Trafalgar.

 

[tim]

Too thinly spread: it would have been better to look at fewer films in more depth rather than dozens of little clips of this, that and the other

 

[Reno]

It does remind me about That Hamilton Woman, precious little else though. I'm surprised there's no proper film about Trafalgar.

There have been a few, just no masterpiece.

Category:Cultural depictions of Horatio Nelson - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[tim]

If there were to be no works of fiction, what are Colonel Blimp and Barry Lyndon doing on there ? Both are probably the best films in the list but Blimp was inspired by a comic book, Barry Lyndon was a fictional character, even if loosely based on a minor historical figure.

Colonel Blimp was a character who appeared in David Lowe cartoons. He was and is the archetypal Tory bastard.

Perhaps, we should have a thread on British history as seen by the cartoonists of the era.

 

[Reno]

Colonel Blimp was a character who appeared in David Lowe cartoons. He was and is the archetypal Tory bastard.

Perhaps, we should have a thread on British history as seen by the cartoonists of the era.

Not as well known as films though and probably wouldn’t get programmed. I don’t think the subject matter is a problem, it’s just that Kermode is too lightweight and superficial a film historian to grapple with it. I never could take a man seriously who thinks the The Exorcist is the most profound movie ever made.

 

[belboid]

There have been a few, just no masterpiece.

Category:Cultural depictions of Horatio Nelson - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Lloyds of London sounds vaguely familiar. And Bequest to the Nation sounds like it should be, but isn't because it's a bit rubbish.