the british film resource
    
 
the british film resourceThe Renaissance of the 1980s
the british film resourceAuthor:Matt Pearson 
 
 
Introduction Introduction
Margaret Thatcher Margaret Thatcher
Thatcher as Inspiration Thatcher as Inspiration
Audiences Audiences
The International Market The International Market
Cultural Identity Crisis Cultural Identity Crisis
Us and Them Us and Them
A Sense of Perspective A Sense of Perspective
Industrial Renaissance Industrial Renaissance
Artistic Renaissance Artistic Renaissance
Towards a Healthy Industry Towards a Healthy Industry
Conclusion Conclusion
 
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Artistic Renaissance
The case for a renaissance on artistic ground is a lot stronger. The few films that Britain did manage to produce during the eighties were of a very high standard and received much international acclaim. Lester Friedman, in British Cinema and Thatcherism, says 'whether part of a profound renaissance or a brief production revival, these pictures, often fuelled by their creator's disgust with the current state of British life, rank with the best movies made during the 1980's, in any country in the world'.

With a film industry on a smaller scale, as it is in Britain, the product is likely to be less formulaic and more innovative. In countries with a large prosperous film industry, such as the US, little room is left for experimentation. Having reached such a low production level in the early eighties it would seem inevitable that the few films that actually got made would be of such quality to warrant their production over, I imagine, a large number of British films that never saw the light of day because of the unfavourable film-making climate. Compared to the gluttonous US industry where the talent is spread a lot thinner it is unsurprising that British film would shine in comparison.

 
Towards a Healthy Industry
 
 
 
  A History of British Film   Early British Comedy   Early Hitchcock   Introduction to Humphrey Jennings   Humphrey Jennings and Third Cinema.   The Stars Look Down / The Proud Valley - Conflict and Unity   The Renaissance of the 1980s   Film On Four


The British Film Resource   The Films of David Lynch   Dennis Potter & The Singing Detective

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