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THE BRITISH FILM INDUSTRY an Interview with David Puttnam

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THE BRITISH FILM INDUSTRY an Interview with David Puttnam 32 February 1982 Marxism Today Do you think the situation has deteriorated? Yes, it deteriorated a few weeks ago with the incorporation of United Artists into CIC — or whatever it's now called. It deteriorated THE BRITISH FILM INDUSTRY three years ago when EMI lined up with An interview with David Puttnam Warner-Columbia into Warner-Columbia- EMI. It's deteriorated very rapidly in the last five years. David Puttnam is one of Britain's the lottery which making a feature film is most successful independent film pro- without a world market? Is this a critique of a market system? That the ducers with a track record that in- needs of the audience, the needs of the film- cludes; That'll Be The Day, Stardust, That's hugely significant. There's no ques- maker are not met? Mahler, Bugsy Malone, The Duellists, ' tion that their grip — and they had it by Midnight Express, Foxes, Chariots of 1930, before sound — is related to the fact Yes, that's what I think. I've supported Alan Fire. Here he is interviewed by Roy that they have many, many more ways of Sapper (ACTT's General Secretary) for Lockett who is deputy general secretary hedging their bets for an equivalent invest- years in the notion that what we need in this of the ACTT. ment, than a British company has. Five mil- country is a nationalised, vertically inte- lion pounds invested by a British company grated sector not run by market forces; given Is it possible for us to say that there is an in a British film is a far, far higher risk a different brief. Maybe the brief is to break authentic British film industry? investment than the same sum of money even. Maybe the brief is only to lose five invested by an American company in a Brit- million quid a year. I don't know what the No. I don't honestly think that has ever been ish film, or an American company investing brief would be. But I certainly think there possible. We've always been an adjunct of the same kind of money in an American film. should be a nationalised sector of the film the American film industry. From time to They have control of a great number of the industry to compete with the multinationals. time there have been enough people making international markets. More control of more good films in Britain to give the impression money than anyone is really prepared to talk What would you see as the composition of that that there's a British film industry. Enough about. In many countries, the Cinema Inter- nationalised sector? Would you see it as taking of those people have spent enough of their national Corporation (CIC) in Britain would over a studio complex. time working in Britain to look as though be regarded as a monopoly. one's dealing in things 'British'. But there Yes, I would. has never been an indigenous film industry Monopoly in what sense? in the way there's been an Italian, French or A number of cinemas in prime sites, demand- American film industry. Monopoly in the sense that they control an ing of the state a certain cash sum to invest? unreasonable proportion of the playing time Why did that cultural and economic domin- in this country: control of the number of Well, let's take them one at a time. Without ation of our industry come into existence? playing weeks per year in British cinemas. I any doubt we're talking about an annual would say that any company that controlled investment by government. Not necessarily I think it started off that way. Film, for good more than 25% of the playing weeks is a an investment that looked for a return: the or ill, is an American medium and was monopoly. CIC almost certainly do, cer- 'return' would be an amorphous one, more grabbed by them very early on. Because we tainly the significant playing weeks in the in terms of cultural consciousness and an share a language we were never able to throw mainstream cinemas, revenue from which audio-visual education. I find it difficult to off that domination. For some extraordinary we've got to rely on to create an indigenous argue the studio case because having worked reason which I can't understand, in the six- industry. in a four-wall situation and having worked in ties, seventies and eighties, we produced an a permanent shop situation, my own prefer- amazing number of good filmmakers for an If CIC's not happy with your product, then ence is for a four-wall, because in the end industry which in its English language form you have an enormous problem? film making is a creative endeavour and it is inherently 'American'. I certainly don't can be extremely difficult to motivate per- think there was ever a prewar film industry. I think that's an overstatement. You could manent staff in the craft grades to aspire to Gainsborough was nothing. They were function perfectly well if CIC hated you. the same things that you aspire to. aping American films, and doing them But you'd only have available two-thirds to badly. Ealing Studios was the nearest we three-quarters of the market. In American You mean by four-wall, a situation in which ever got to a genuinely British studio. In the terms that means you're dealing with a you go into a studio which has no permanent brief early years of Woodfall it looked as monopoly. In British terms — and histori- workforce. That you hire separately all of the though something might happen, but it cally we're a monopolistic society — that facilities and freelance personnel you need for didn't. It's too easy to say they sold out. sort of proportion has never been regarded the picture and take them all into the studio? They probably just got better offers. as being devastating has it? I always get the impression that the Monopolies Commis- Yes. How significant is financing? Is it simply a sion is talking in terms of someone owning The great disadvantage of freelancing is the reflection of the fact that the multinational more than 50% of the market. In America a economic insecurity which it entails: American companies have got a grip on the monopoly is regarded as being effective far, unemployment and the absence of a guaranteed world market and a certain return, rather than far earlier than 50%. annual income. The great advantage of free- Marxism Today February 1982 33 lancing is creative mobility — the ability for instincts are vying to make it emotional. sequence. We thought they'd be under the people to come together in different groupings, Everything tells you 'Here's a scene and if seats: they were up cheering. That's the kind in what is essentially a collaborative art like we hold that shot a bit longer it will have of misjudgement I realised I was capable of. filmmaking. We've never found a balance more impact.' It's a very hard thing to Don Boyd tells me that Chariots of Fire is a between that economic insecurity and the crea- control. jingoistic picture. I don't think it is. I think tive freedom which freelancing permits. it's a film about the victory of the individual You aren't saying, are you, that the intrinsic over the state. He honestly believes it's a Well, I think that's absolutely true. Histori- difficulties are so enormous that it can't be film about the state's domination of the indi- cally, it has been a facet of bad management done? vidual. I still can't see it, but on the other because what has inevitably happened in hand because he says it to me, I've got to every studio with a permanent shop situa- I've talked to Tony Garnett about this and in believe it. He sat there and watched the film tion that I've ever come across is that sooner all honesty I'm not sure that I personally and that's what he came away with. or later the permanent staff wage bill have the intellectual weight to take on sub- There is also one very fundamental point. becomes dependent on a certain level of pro- ject matter like that. This is one of the rea- You ask why I'm not developing or making duction. That level of production couldn't sons I bow constantly to Garnett as a films around the major social issues that be sustained by projects anyone really filmmaker because he has weight that I confront us in this country such as race, wanted to make. It was only a question of haven't got. Conversely, I think there are unemployment, Ireland etc. I think the time before the issue became: 'Well we've things I can do that Tony can't. I think I simple reason is that I don't think that issues got four rotten scripts — script B is the least know how to address myself to a large make good films, people do. Show me a good rotten, we'd better make it because whether audience, a compromise which Tony finds tale about an interesting man or woman who we like it or not, we've got 27 plasterers, 14 very, very difficult indeed. There's the para- happens to be inextricably caught up in one carpenters and a sound-crew to keep. So dox.
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