Brian McFarlane, ed.. The Cinema of Britain and Ireland. London and New York: Wallfower Press, 2005. xvi + 285 pp. $29.50, paper, ISBN 978-1-904764-38-0.
Reviewed by Mairead Pratschke
Published on H-Albion (October, 2006)
The academic study of flm has tended to re‐ panies (Gaumont, Ealing Studios), or on major fg‐ fect the two main streams of the medium, the fc‐ ures (John Grierson and the British Documentary tional narrative flm and the nonfction documen‐ Movement). In recent years, however, it has be‐ tary or news flm. The number of studies emerg‐ come apparent that there is something missing ing from flm studies programs on the fctional from our approach to flm studies and the history narrative flms has increased vastly, in keeping of flm; that is, "the big picture," the details sur‐ with the fow of contemporary productions, while rounding the production of a flm in terms of both the study of non-fction flm and flm history has its historical and industrial context. Also missing been comparatively slight. Film studies as an aca‐ are many flms--directed and produced by names demic discipline has also tended to be separate with whom we are familiar--that have been rele‐ from flm history. In flm studies, the tendency gated to the margins for a variety of reasons. has been to focus on the "best hits," the most visi‐ This collection on the cinema of Britain and ble of a certain genre, producer or director's Ireland is part of the 24 Frames series, which se‐ work. This is unsurprising, especially in the Irish lects twenty-four feature flms and documentaries context, where the sudden growth and develop‐ "to highlight the specifc elements of that territo‐ ment of flm studies in the past two decades re‐ ry's cinema, elucidating the historical and indus‐ fects the current health of the industry, which--al‐ trial context of production, the key genres and though flm screenings began in the late nine‐ modes of representation, and foregrounding the teenth century there as elsewhere--did not exist work of the most important directors and their until the 1980s. But even in the United Kingdom, exemplary flms" (p. iii). Its purpose, then, is to be‐ where flm production as an uninterrupted, state- gin the work of flling the gaps, correcting the im‐ sponsored and commercial industry has a much balances and defciencies in British and Irish flm longer history, scholars have tended to focus on studies and flm history noted above, by investi‐ certain approaches (auteur), genres (New Wave), gating flms that have either been overlooked en‐ or on certain examples of British production com‐ H-Net Reviews tirely or cast aside after a brief mention, and to resentative of the decade not only because of its reassess the signifcance of others from a new basis in a J. B. Priestly novel and the composition perspective. As such, the scope of the collection is of the production team, but also for the problems quite broad. It is organized chronologically, span‐ of the industry during this era. Its importance ex‐ ning the period from 1928 to 2002, including nar‐ tended into the future too, as its narrative served rative feature flms and some documentary. Its fo‐ as a template for wartime flms focusing on the cus is overwhelmingly on Britain (meaning Eng‐ theme of diverse communities working together land but not Wales, with a brief mention of Scot‐ as teams for the cause. land), some Irish (Northern and Republic), as well The frst Irish, and nonfction, appearance is as some co-funded international (European and made by the classic documentary flm, Man of American) productions. In terms of fctional gen‐ Aran (Robert J. Flaherty, 1934). Martin McLoone res, it runs the gamut from comedy to melodrama argues here for its visual importance because of to postmodern fantasy and hyperrealism. Nonfc‐ its representation of Flaherty's nineteenth-centu‐ tion is represented in one chapter on the best- ry romantic sensibility, which was--ironically-- known and defnitive documentary flm. So, while very much at odds with the goals of the social re‐ the collection is broad, it is by no means compre‐ alist documentary movement, even though John hensive, nor could it be given its aims. It does, Grierson coined the term documentary in refer‐ however, live up to its ambitions in terms of fore‐ ence to Flaherty's work. McLoone argues also for grounding--in most chapters--the historical and the importance of historical context for Man of industrial context of production, though this Aran--the political and social context of Eamon de sometimes takes the form, particularly in the Irish Valera's socially conservative Ireland dictated the selections, of an extended biography of the direc‐ flm's reception. The importance of the flm thus tor and details of his other productions, rather lies much more with the controversies it generat‐ than a contextualizing of the flm's production in ed, rather than with Flaherty's aesthetic vision. terms of flm history. Given the rather sudden The postwar era begins with Pink String and emergence of Irish flm studies over the past two Sealing Wax (Robert Hamer, 1945), which Brian decades, this is an understandable approach. It is McFarlane argues was the most important melo‐ also necessary in the case of the selections on drama made during the heyday of British cinema Robert Flaherty and on Northern Irish flm in par‐ because of its evocation of place and period. Holi‐ ticular, in order to fully appreciate the argument day Camp (Ken Annakin, 1947), by Geof Brown, of the author. provides a glimpse of the postwar cultural land‐ The collection opens with Shooting Stars (An‐ scape in Britain. This sort of family entertain‐ thony Asquith & A.V. Bramble, 1928), the frst flm ment, set in a Butlin's-like summer camp was by Anthony Asquith, which Luke McKernan ar‐ flled with the usual cast of holiday campers, be‐ gues is emblematic of British cinema in its early came central to Annakin's subsequent career. days, for its creative energy and importation of The place of literature in British cinema histo‐ foreign flm styles, as much as its dilemma about ry is the subject of Philip Gillett's chapter on The such importation. John Oliver argues that A Night Rocking Horse Winner (Anthony Pellissier, 1949), Like This (Tom Walls, 1932) was the best adapta‐ an adaptation of the D. H. Lawrence story. Gillett tion of an Aldwych Theatre farce and that comedy reminds readers of the importance of historical was key to the resurgence of the British cinema context in the most practical of examples, point‐ industry in the early 1930s. Another key flm in ing out that the flm was a box-ofce disaster due this early period is The Good Companions (Victor to its release at a time when Lawrence was at his Saville, 1933), which Charles Barr points to as rep‐
2 H-Net Reviews most unpopular among British audiences. Robert mer Labour Party MP, did not do well at the box Murphy's chapter on The Long Memory (Robert ofce because of the implausibility of the roman‐ Hamer, 1952), which focuses on the French infu‐ tic plot, but it was only a short time later before ence on British flm, reads as a mission statement the plot became reality in the form of the Profu‐ for the entire collection. Although this flm was mo Afair. Scandal (Michael Caton-Jones, 1989) also trashed by critics at the time, Murphy re‐ deals head on with the Profumo Afair of the minds readers of the importance of historical con‐ 1950s, mixing documentary, satire and comedy to text and of the need to appreciate flm from the talk about the relationship between Stephen historian's perspective rather than merely that of Ward and Christine Keeler, and while set in the contemporary critics. 1950s, Bruce Babington argues that Scandal be‐ The mid-1950s marked the beginning of longs to a movement of British flms from the Britain's period of self-doubt with the transition 1980s set in that decade, but distinct from the from Empire to Commonwealth after the Suez Cri‐ "heritage" flm genre. sis in 1956 and the rise of the generation of Angry The flms about or made in the 1960s featured Young Men (John Osborne, 1956). Tom Ryall ar‐ in this collection tend to deal with the breakdown gues that, despite the threats to the British cinema or redefnition of traditional relationships. 80,000 industry from Hollywood, co-produced "runaway" Suspects (Val Guest, 1963) is, argues Christine Ger‐ flms like Knights of the Round Table (Richard aghty, more than just a melodramatic pseudo-doc‐ Thorpe, 1953) actually had a positive impact be‐ umentary on the disintegration of a marriage, but cause of the opportunities they presented for should be counted as part of British New Wave British actors. The Italian Job (Peter Collinson, and the discontented youth movement of the 1969) reframes British post-imperial insecurities 1960s. The chapter by Ian Britain on Sunday as a crime caper, which Steve Chibnall argues is Bloody Sunday (John Schlesinger, 1971) describes really a war movie in disguise that seeks to reas‐ the openly gay director's take on London during sure the native audience that the British still have the "swinging sixties," which was the frst to show what it takes to win. The "war" in this case takes men kissing on screen. Although not particularly the form of high-speed chases on foreign territory shocking these days, Britain argues that the flm is in British cars, which of course emerge victorious. still important for those who want to see some‐ Another flm that refects the various ways in thing of their roots and present identity. A more which British flm was "growing up" is Room at enduring example of an attempt to shock is the Top (Jack Clayton, 1959), which Tony Aldgate Demons of the Mind (Peter Sykes, 1972), which is argues was a milestone for adult flms and for described by Andrew Spicer as gothic revision‐ British censorship because its award of a "x" cer‐ ism; real "horror" that disturbs in a much more tifcate by John Trevelyan, the secretary of the meaningful way than our modern guts-and-gore British Board of Film Censors, defned the param‐ approach. eters for quality British "adult" flms. The themes of autobiography and memory The flms made about or during the 1960s run through Hope and Glory (John Boorman, deal with the internal and external battles of hu‐ 1986), which, according to Kevin Gough-Yates, is mankind. Tunes of Glory (Ronald Neame, 1960) is the director's personal take on World War Two, described by Neil Sinyard as a universal drama of refecting his life-long interest in Arthurian leg‐ the human psyche. As Melanie Williams points ends and the search for the grail, as well as his out, No Love for Johnnie (Ralph Thomas, 1961), personal family history. Another autobiographical based on the manuscript detailing the life of a for‐ auteur flm that broadens the geographical con‐
3 H-Net Reviews text of "British" flm is Distant Voice, Still Lives Emer Rockett argues is representative of the new (Terence Davies, 1988), which Wendy Everett in‐ direction of Irish cinema as a product of the Re‐ sists must be placed in the European context and public of Ireland's Celtic Tiger economy and its seen as part of a European-wide movement to‐ cultural ofshoots. Rockett defends the flm from wards personal-memory flms. the criticism it has received as a rather poor re‐ Moving to Ireland, Kevin Rockett's chapter on make of The General (John Boorman, 1998) but The Miracle (Neil Jordan, 1991) uses the flm as a devotes rather a lot of space to O'Sullivan's other example of the sensibility common to Jordan's en‐ work. This creates the impression that Irish flm tire body of work, by drawing attention to the in‐ scholars are all too aware of the paucity of Irish tertextuality of the persistent themes of the oedi‐ examples in this volume, and are attempting to pal complex and repression in Irish family rela‐ compensate for lost time and space. Interestingly, tions in Jordan's work, and highlighting their ap‐ the one nod to "regional" cinema, aside from the pearance in his flms through music, photography, Northern Irish flm Divorcing Jack, is actually the memory. Repression is certainly not a theme in work of an English producer. Sweet Sixteen (Ken Orlando (Sally Potter, 1993), aptly described in the Loach, 2002) represents an attempt, as Dave Roli‐ chapter by Rose Lucas as a postmodern gender- son describes it, to revive independent flms and bender, which through its clever casting of main raises the crucial issue of the existence of a Scot‐ characters, manages to extend Virginia Woolf's tish cinema within British cinema. Rolison touch‐ novel even further forward in terms of the ways es on the problems inherent in discussing a dis‐ in which it addresses postmodern themes of roles, tinctive regional cinema--the defnition on what identity formation, and feminist theory. exactly make a flm Welsh, Scottish, etc.--but points out that this is a problem faced in the un‐ Divorcing Jack (David Cafrey, 1998) attempts derstanding of any national cinema. to divorce itself from the traditional mould of Northern Irish flms on the "troubles," but, in John This collection is wonderful introduction to Hill's estimation, fails to do so. Although it is cate‐ some of the unknown highlights of British cinema gorized as a "ceasefre flm" (because of its rela‐ and to some of the best-known Irish directors. The tionship to the timing of the ceasefre and subse‐ chapters are short (none more than twelve pages) quent Good Friday Agreement) and is clearly in‐ and, as a result, succinct. The tone is generally debted to Quentin Tarantino and other for its lively and engaging, making for an enjoyable stylistic infuences, it cannot help referring to ear‐ read. Despite the professed mandate of 24 lier "troubles" flms. Hill argues that the historical Frames, it does feature some of the "best hits" of and political context are inseparable from this British and Irish cinema (The Italian Job, Man of failure to break the sort of new cinematic ground Aran, and Orlando) but places them in a new con‐ in Northern Ireland that one might expect would text and views them from a refreshing perspec‐ refect the political changes in the region. Because tive. The text-driven approach results in an acces‐ of the region's long history of instability and vio‐ sible and wide-ranging work that incorporates not lent confict, the role of state-sponsorship in the only the cinematic details on the flms and direc‐ fedgling flm production industry in the North is tors, but sets the various productions in historical still such that, flmmakers need to be less afraid of context. The font and overall presentation are the box ofce if they are to be culturally and eco‐ reminiscent of a flm catalog, minimalist and fo‐ nomically viable. Ordinary Decent Criminals cused on content. The twenty-four chapters are (Thaddeus O'Sullivan, 2000) refects quite the op‐ arranged chronologically in order of production posite scenario, as a hyper-real fantasy which
4 H-Net Reviews date, each ofset by a facing page featuring a still sources is very short--only 11 titles--compared to from the flm in question. the 110 under British cinema. But overall, this col‐ The mention in the fnal chapter of the collec‐ lection is a valuable addition to studies of British tion on the difculties of defning "regional" cine‐ and Irish cinema. It strikes a balance between the ma begs the question: where is regional cinema in single-title series published by the BFI and the IFI the British context discussed here? Where is the and a major anthology. The approach adopted by coverage of specifcally Scottish or Welsh flm, or 24 Frames is a good one, and the attempt to cover of flms from or about the Isle of Man, the Chan‐ the history of flm production as well as the analy‐ nel Islands, the Orkneys, the Shetlands? The an‐ sis of the flms themselves is laudable. The swer, of course, is that they not included here. Are chronological development of flm in Britain is readers then to conclude that Scottish or Welsh well represented in terms of a number of key gen‐ flm is covered in another collection? Does British res, as is the connection to the historical context flm here mean English? This objection was obvi‐ in which the production was made. It is a plea‐ ously anticipated by the editor, Brian McFarlane, sure to read and is recommended to flm bufs who notes in the introduction, "all the flms dis‐ and novices alike. cussed in this book belong in key ways to the 'British Isles' and if that means predominantly 'England', then that is a true refection of where the emphasis has fallen in British flmmaking--for better and worse" (p. 7). So, this omission is partly a result of the nature of the collection--it is meant to be a wide-ranging overview of some of the ne‐ glected flms of key directors, however defned. It is also a function of the time period in question-- regionalism and national identity issues are a pre‐ dominantly a phenomenon of the 1990s and on‐ wards, although Scottish nationalism surfaced for brief periods in earlier decades as well. Since no‐ body could argue that Scottish flm has been ne‐ glected in recent years (do we really need another essay on Trainspotting [Danny Boyle, 1996]?), such work simply did not ft within the parame‐ ters of this collection. But caveats aside, a chapter or two on specifcally Scottish or Welsh produc‐ tions would not have gone amiss in a collection on British and Irish cinema, if only to register their current popularity and as a refection of the politi‐ cal times in which we live. The collection includes a complete flmogra‐ phy, with all of the relevant production informa‐ tion pertaining to each flm. The bibliography lists only books and is not meant to be exhaustive. This is just as well, as the bibliography on Irish flm re‐
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Citation: Mairead Pratschke. Review of McFarlane, Brian, ed. The Cinema of Britain and Ireland. H- Albion, H-Net Reviews. October, 2006.
URL: https://www.h-net.org/reviews/showrev.php?id=12381
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