Past and present : national identity and the British historical film / James Chapman.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Chapman, James, 1968-

Contributor:

Sabin W. Colton, Jr., Memorial Fund.

Series:

Cinema and society

Cinema and society series

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Historical films--History and criticism.

Historical films.

Nationalism in motion pictures.

National characteristics, British, in motion pictures.

Physical Description:

400 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm.

Place of Publication:

London : I. B. Tauris, 2005.

Summary:

This groundbreaking book by one of Britain's leading film historians is the first to take on this major genre in all its complexity. It takes to heart Ken Loach's view that "the only reason to make films that are a reflection on history is to talk about the present." With this proposition as his starting point, James Chapman examines the place of historical films in British cinema history and film culture. Through in-depth case studies of fourteen key films, from "Henry V" and "Zulu" to "Chariots of Fire" and "Elizabeth," he analyzes the themes they present, including gender, ethnicity, militarism and and imperialism--throughout exploring their dialectical relationship between past and present and how they project images and ideologies of "Britishness" to audiences in the UK and North America.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages [365]-376) and index.

Includes filmography.

Local Notes:

Acquired for the Penn Libraries with assistance from the Sabin W. Colton, Jr., Memorial Fund.

ISBN:

1850438072

1850438080

OCLC:

60419122

Publisher Number:

9781850438076

9781850438083

9781850438076 (hbk.)

9781850438083 (pbk.)