British Film

by Jim Leach

Overview

Demonstrating the richness and variety of a national cinema that has traditionally struggled to define itself between the paradigms of Hollywood popular film and European art cinema, this study provides comprehensive coverage of British cinema in general as well as critical discussions of specific films—useful for screenings. Each chapter covers a specific topic and includes detailed descriptions of key films representative of different historical periods.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780521654197
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Publication date:	08/30/2004
Series:	National Film Traditions
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	300
Product dimensions:	6.14(w) x 9.21(h) x 0.83(d)

About the Author

Jim Leach is Professor in the Department of Communications, Popular Culture, and Film at Brock University, St. Catharine's, Ontario. The author of a volume on Canadian filmmaker Claude Jutra, he has published widely on Canadian and European cinema and cultural theory.

Table of Contents

1. The national health: Great Britain/deep England; 2. The magic box: what is British cinema?; 3. The common touch: the art of being realistic; 4. The mirror crack'd: British expressionism; 5. Millions like us: British cinema as popular cinema; 6. The stars look down: acting British; 7. No sex please - we're British: sex, gender, and the national character; 8. Carry on regardless: The British sense of humor; 9. Sexy beasts: British monsters; 10. The ruling class: ideology and the school movie; 11. The long memory: history and heritage; 12. I'm British but …: Empire and after.

Editorial Reviews

"Jim Leach's British Cinema is an engaging introduction to and meditation on what the opening chapter describes as a "complex" and "messy" cinema" Letters in Canada 2004 Jim Ellis

From the Publisher