Best British Film

“Peeping Tom” and “The Last of England”

I love all the films mentioned, especially those kitchen sink dramas.
In case missed, did anybody ever mentioned “The Italian Job (’67)”? Too mainstream for theauteurs crowd, perhaps? Not only it’s a comedy-heist movie, but also a celebration of ‘60s Swingin’ British Pop culture. Football, Cockney gangsters, Mini-Coopers, Noel Coward, Michael Caine, Benny Hill! C’mon…

Wow, this thread has been a gold mine for my “to see” list. My favorite film from any country is “The Third Man” and I’m waiting impatiently for “Odd Man Out” to become available in the U.S. So far, I don’t think anyone has mentioned another favorite of mine, another Powell/Pressburger film called “Contraband”, (U.S. title Blackout). If you haven’t seen thus one, it’s worth checking out.

Like GODARD, I greatly admire the work of Derek JARMAN but find it difficult to fully embrace or love one of his films. His films (to me) are shall we say, uneven and imperfect. This is not neccessarily a bad thing, especially for an “experimental” filmmaker. The queer beauty and difficulty of a Jarman film (however uneven) is undoubtedly more intersting and valuable than the stylish ass-kissing of any Spielberg or Tarantino film.

If….

THE THIRD MAN

then …

TOM JONES

The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp
Kind Hearts and Coronets
Bridge over the River Kwai
The Lavender Hill Mob
The Third Man
The Ladykillers
The 39 Steps
Lawrence of Arabia
The Dambusters
Remains of the Day

I think Lawrence of Arabia is probably all-around the Best British film, but O Lucky Man! is my favorite British film.

“Dead Man’s Shoes” (Shane Meadows, 2004)

Anyone else care to contribute to this thread? Any newer posters who also love British film?

Bob Stutsman, I’ve just read your posts before: great knowledge of English cinema! I’m an “England lover” too, so I would write something not mentioned yet.
First of all, I completely agree with you about The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, surely one of the greatest performance by Maggie Smith.
I would like to see published more silent British films; we have almost nothing.
I’d quote my thread about H. Jennings too.
About Clayton, there is an unknown short, The Bespoke Overcoat, a comedy-like adaptation of the famous Gogol’ story. Not an important film, but for cinephiles is a nice curio.
About Free Cinema, there’s a beautiful BFI DVD containing several ‘50s-’60s shorts; some of them interesting (Nice Time, Refuge England), some bad but precious (Momma Don’t Allow). The cover is this:

I loved an overlooked Free Cinema movie called “Girl With Green Eyes”(1964) with R. Tushingham and P.Finch.

An important sci-fi contribution from England: the Quatermass series. Four beautiful films – the third to me is a masterpiece -; Carpenter really liked this series. From IMDB "Is a fan of the Quartermass movies; wrote Prince of Darkness (1987) under the pseudonym of Martin Quatermass, and the village in In the Mouth of Madness (1994) is named after a rail station in “Quatermass and the Pit”.
As soon as possible, I will add some films.
Now, it’s up to Kenji to post something. :)

Thanks for the additions, Dan. I have never seen the Girl with Green Eyes with Tushingham and Finch – both favourite actors of mine. Seen The Boy with Green Hair, but not the Girl with Green Eyes – good double bill? I had read your posts on Jennings, another filmmaker I will try to seek out. I’ll see if my local library has any of the titles you have suggested. I am sure Kenji can give this a shot! Thanks. I dearly love British cinema – esp. the ’50’s and ’60’s – and figured we would have some other fans here, too.

ah ha, i came here, then saw my name mentioned, so… (i’m counting Kubrick’s British films- many of the best have been by Americans, just as so many top American films have been by Brits and Europeans).

2001: A Space Odyssey (Kubrick)
Kind Hearts and Coronets (Hamer)
Brazil (Gilliam)
The Thief of Bagdad (Berger, Powell, Whelan)
Dr Strangelove (Kubrick)
Street of Crocodiles (Quay bros)
The Red Shoes (Powell, Pressburger)
Lawrence of Arabia (Lean)
My Childhood (Douglas)
The Shining (Kubrick)

The Third Man (Reed)
The Piano Tuner of Earthquakes (Quay bros)
Barry Lyndon (Kubrick)
The 39 Steps (Hitchcock)
The Innocents (Clayton)
Goldfinger (Hamilton)
Hope and Glory (Boorman)
A Matter of Life and Death (Powell, Pressburger)
The Wrong Trousers (Park)
Great Expectations (Lean)
Kes (Loach)
The Draughtsman’s Contract (Greenaway)
The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp (Powell, Pressburger)
The Elephant Man (Lynch)
The Servant (Losey)
The Life of Brian (Jones)
Black Narcissus (Powell, Pressburger)
If (Anderson)
Don’t Look Now (Losey)
Topsy Turvy (Leigh)
The Lavender Hill Mob (Crichton)
A Fish Called Wanda (Crichton)
Red Road (Arnold)
The Wicker Man (Hardy)
Swinging the Lambeth Walk (Lye)

from Wales i like Eldra and Hedd Wyn, though they’re not masterpieces

Kenji: Knew you would come through with a contribution, thanks. I must see The Piano Tuner of Earthquakes by the brothers Quay – thanks for the reminder. I need to catch up on their more recent (to me) creative work. I am glad Nick Park made it on your list, too. I was going to put together a list of ‘essential’ British films, using the wonderful examples on this thread as the take-off point. One of our earlier posters, Marc-David Jacobs, is apparently writing a book about the subject of British film. Marc-David has an interesting take on a Schlesinger film, Sunday Blood Sunday, that seems almost forgotten now, on an older thread.

I think i’ve just about completed my list. Oh there are some high-flyers here, i’ll be interested in Marc—David’s book. I hope he doesn’t overlook Wales, wonder if Truffaut’s Anne and Muriel might qualify at a pinch.

Yeah! I’ve seen almost all these films, very good selection – but I am little disappointed in you; NOT The Life of Brian! :D a joke, it’s I cannot stand that film -. Why do you find so great Lye? I think his works are, and were, innovative but I couldn’t say they are pieces of art. I would like to know your opinion – since he’s a filmmaker whose people don’t talk much -.

First to mention 3 goodies i forgot:

Song of Ceylon (Wright) 1934 documentary
Flatworld (Greaves) very fun animation
Howard End (Ivory)

i enjoy Lye and Mclaren shorts. the very clever integration of music, and one up on Brakhage i say. Maybe not deep intellectual masterpieces but a pleasurable experience, quite fresh and experimental at the time following on from the 20s and Germans like Fischinger and Richter

SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE Really……..no-no………seriously…….for sure, that’s got to be the one……..huh-………no?

BLACK NARCISSUS
WALKABOUT
DRACULA (’58)

Can’t agree with the inclusion of Shane Meadows here. This is England was good, but not great, it relies on a certain nostalgic charm and an eye for fashion but it isn’t in the same league of any of the other films mentioned in this thread. But, the opening 3 minutes are brilliant, albeit basically a pop video.

Somerstown is a lightweight romantic comedy, instantly forgetable, but the boy in the lead role is good. As for dead man’s shoes…unwatchable.

Without a doubt the greatest British film of all time is “A matter of life and death”, or maybe Brief Encounter, or is it Lawrence of Arabia, or Dr Zhivago or…????

And then there’s Peter Greenaway: Draughtman’s Contract is beautfiul and clever.

Can’t agree with the inclusion of Shane Meadows here. This is England was good, but not great, it relies on a certain nostalgic charm and an eye for fashion but it isn’t in the same league of any of the other films mentioned in this thread. But, the opening 3 minutes are brilliant, albeit basically a pop video.

Somerstown is a lightweight romantic comedy, instantly forgetable, but the boy in the lead role is good. As for dead man’s shoes…unwatchable.

Without a doubt the greatest British film of all time is “A matter of life and death”, or maybe Brief Encounter, or is it Lawrence of Arabia, or Dr Zhivago or…????

I agree with you about Shane Meadows. There’s a tendency to snatch at straws and overrate any half-decent recent British film. Hunger was fine, surely stronger than anything by Meadows but not really the great masterpiece i’d been led to expect by Sight and Sound voting it best film of the year (from anywhere)

The Red Shoes
Performance
If. . .
Edward II
The Servant
Lawrence of Arabia
The Long Day Closes

Trainspotting
The Bridge Over the River Kwai

Let’s not forget Ken Loach; RIFF-RAFF and THE NAVIGATORS.

This Sporting Life

Just seen a nice comedy, The Happiest Days Of Your Life (1950), with the superstars M. Rutherford and A. Sim. Anybody has seen it??
I’ve seen an old VHS copy but, by pure chance, it is due for release on May 4th!
This is the cover. So, Englishmen, buy it!

Double.

Yes it’s a goodie, and a fore-runner to the popular St Trinians films of the 50s- i don’t know if they’re seen much outside Britain