America Through a British Lens: Cinematic Portrayals 1930-2010

As the British watched their empire crumble and the United States became the dominant world power, many British films warned of the dangers posed by American culture. Americans were frequently portrayed as disconcertingly ambitious, reckless and irreverent. Yet the same films that depicted the U.S. as an agent of chaos also suggested Britons might do well to embrace American-style energy and egalitarianism.

Movies like Love Actually, The Quatermass Xperiment, 28 Weeks Later, Local Hero and...