War films have existed since the birth of cinema, typically gung-ho tales of macho derring-do. But war films are not always about bravado and bravery, they also detail the horrors of war, the sadness, the brotherhood of soldiers and comedy that can be found in the bleakest of situations, as well as the excitement of the battlefield. War Films explores defining movies of the genre in sections covering different wars as well as wars with other worlds. The book also offers links between the different films, historical and cinematic worth and profiles of key actors and directors. Among the films included are Saving Private Ryan, Dr Strangelove,Welcome to Sarajevo, The Dam Busters, Gallipoli, The Deer Hunter and Ran.
Written as part of the Worthing WOW festival celebrations, Electric Pictures commemorates 120 years of film in the Sussex coastal towns of Worthing and Shoreham, capturing the region’s rich cinematic legacy and its place in British film history. From film-making pioneers through to blockbuster films and key events in the film history of the coast, this volume draws on research from film archives and local history resources to tell the story of the south coast film world. Richly illustrated and featuring contributions from local historians and film and theatre specialists, this book also includes an additional Heritage Trail guide that reveals key filming locations and the towns’ cinemas.
During the Second World War, the British movie industry produced a number of films concerning the war, all of which were, by necessity, heavily myth-laden and propagandised. Foremost among these productions was The First of the Few, which was the biggest grossing film of 1942. In the immediate post-war period, to start with there were no British aviation war films. The first to be released was Angels One Five in 1952. It was well-received, confirming that the Battle of Britain was a commercial commodity. Over the next few years, many famous war heroes published their memoirs, or had books written about them, including the legless Group Captain Douglas Bader, whose story, Reach for the Sky, told by Paul Brickhill, became a best-seller in 1956. It was followed a year later by the film of the same name, which, starring Kenneth More, dominated that year’s box office. The early Battle of Britain films had tended to focus upon the story of individuals, not the bigger picture. That changed with the release of the star-studded epic Battle of Britain in 1969. Using real aircraft, the film, produced in color and on a far larger scale than had been seen on film before, was notable for its spectacular flying sequences. Between the release of Reach for the Sky and Battle of Britain, however, much had changed for modern Britain. For a variety of reasons many felt that the story of the nation’s pivotal moment in the Second World War was something best buried and forgotten. Indeed, the overall box office reaction to Battle of Britain reinforced this view – all of which might explain why it was the last big screen treatment of this topic for many years. It was during the Battle of Britain’s seventieth anniversary year that the subject returned to the nation's screens when Matthew Wightman’s docudrama First Light was first broadcast. Essentially a serialisation of Spitfire pilot Geoffrey Wellum’s best-selling memoir of the same title, Wightman cleverly combined clips of Wellum as an old man talking about the past with his new drama footage. The series is, in the opinion of the author, the best portrayal of an individual’s Battle of Britain experience to have been made. In this fascinating exploration of the Battle of Britain on the big screen, renowned historian and author Dilip Sarkar examines the popular memory and myths of each of these productions and delves into the arguments between historians and the filmmakers. Just how true to the events of the summer of 1940 are they, and how much have they added to the historical record of ‘The Finest Hour’?
Released in 1969, the film Battle of Britain went on to become one of the most iconic war movies ever produced. The film drew many respected British actors to accept roles as key figures of the battle, including Sir Laurence Olivier as Hugh Dowding and Trevor Howard as Keith Park. It also starred Michael Caine, Christopher Plummer and Robert Shaw as squadron leaders. As well as its large all-star international cast, the film was notable for its spectacular flying sequences which were on a far grander scale than anything that had been seen on film before. At the time of its release, Battle of Britain was singled out for its efforts to portray the events of the summer of 1940 in great accuracy. To achieve this, Battle of Britain veterans such as Group Captain Tom Gleave, Wing Commander Robert Stanford Tuck, Wing Commander Douglas Bader, Squadron Leader Boleslaw Drobinski and Luftwaffe General Adolf Galland were all involved as consultants. This detailed description of the making of the film is supported by a mouth-watering selection of pictures that were taken during the production stages. The images cover not only the many vintage aircraft used in the film, but also the airfields, the actors, and even the merchandise which accompanied the film’s release in 1969 – plus a whole lot more. There are numerous air-to-air shots of the Spitfires, Messerschmitts, Hurricanes and Heinkels that were brought together for the film. There are also images that capture the moment that Battle of Britain veterans, some of whom were acting as consultants, visited the sets. Interviews with people who worked on the film, such as Hamish Mahaddie, John Blake and Ron Goodwin, among others, bring the story to life.
SHORTLISTED FOR PEOPLE'S BOOK PRIZE This is an essential guide to the evolving and dynamic world of digital media. Explains how the media lab as a place (actual or virtual) encourages, nurtures and provides tangible support for creative talents and their projects. While the focus of the book is on filmmaking and gaming, the author also delves into the ‘brave new worlds’ of Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality. Providing an overview of the range of media labs on offer in both academia and festivals, the book is enriched by interviews with contemporary practitioners working in digital media culture around the world. Reviews “... an inspirational and timely new resource, packed with contacts, leading edge initiatives, tips from seasoned media practitioners .... It can’t fail to help you get new creative content made, and seen, around the world.” – Nic Millington, CEO Rural Media “With digital technologies and the blurring of creative boundaries changing the way that content is made and seen, this book proves an invaluable guide for those looking to successfully navigate this constantly evolving landscape.” – Nikki Baughan, Film Industry Journalist About the author James Clarke has written for the magazines 3D Artist, 3DWorld, Moviescope and Empire. His work has also featured in The Guardian, on BBC Radio 3 and for the BFI. As an educator he is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and has taught at the University of Gloucestershire, Hereford College of Arts and the University of Warwick. James is currently a Visiting Lecturer at the London Film School. James’s books include the recently published Through Her Lens: The Stories Behind the Photography of Eva Sereny (ACC Books), The Year of the Geek (Aurum Press) and Bodies in Heroic Motion: The Cinema of James Cameron (Columbia University Press). James also writes A Level Film Studies resources for Edusites and has been a consultant to the British Council, writing and producing content on the subject of various literary icons.
The best animated films have combined the technology with creativity and a flair for storytelling and are adored by both children and adults. This book takes a critical look at animation through the ages and explores its cinematic possibilities.
This group of new critical essays offers multidisciplinary analysis of director Peter Jackson's spectacularly successful adaptations of J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings trilogy: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001), The Two Towers (2002) and The Return of the King (2003). Part One of the collection, "Techniques of Structure and Story," compares and contrasts the organizational principles of the books and films. Part Two, "Techniques of Character and Culture," focuses on the methods used to transform the characters and settings of Tolkien's narrative into the personalities and places visualized on screen. Each of the sixteen essays includes extensive notes and a separate bibliography. Instructors considering this book for use in a course may request an examination copy here.
This book explores alternatives to realist, triumphalist, and heroic representations of war in British film and television. Focusing on the period between the Suez Crisis of 1956 and the Falkland War but offering connections to the moment of Brexit, it argues that the “lost continent” of existential, satirical, simulated, and abstractly traumatic war stories is as central to understanding Britain’s martial history as the mainstream inheritance. The book features case studies that stress the contribution of exiled or expatriate directors and outsider sensibilities, with particular emphasis on Peter Watkins, Joseph Losey, and Richard Lester. At the same time, it demonstrates concerns and stylistic emphases that continue to the present in television series and films by directors such as Lone Scherfig and Christopher Nolan. Encompassing everything from features to government information films, the book explores related trends in the British film industry, popular culture, and film criticism, while offering a sense of how these contexts contribute to historical memory.
This book examines how image affects war and whether image affects our understanding of war. Crucially, how can moving-image representation of conflict affect the legitimacy, conduct and outcome of contemporary warfare? The collapsing Twin Towers of September 11; the hooded figure at the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq; the images of beheadings on the internet; the emaciated figure in a Bosnian-Serb concentration camp; the dancing flashes across the skylines of Baghdad as US-led air bombardment deals blows to another ‘rogue’ regime: such images define contemporary conflict. Drawing on a wide range of examples from fiction and factual film, current affairs and television news, as well as new digital media, this book introduces the notion of moving images as the key weapons in contemporary armed conflict. The authors make use of information about the US, the UK, the ‘War on Terror’, the former Yugoslavia, former Soviet states, the Middle East and Africa. War, Image and Legitimacy will be of great interest to students of war and security studies, media and communication studies, and international relations in general.
This book offers insights into diverse non-American national perspectives on the US-led military interventions in Afghanistan and Iraq within the generic frames of the war film. While the best-known films about the post-9/11 wars in the Middle East are American productions, various other national cinematographies have responded to these conflicts, which is not surprising given the fact that international coalitions were formed to support the US military effort. However, non-American war films about these US-instigated interventions have received little attention outside their own national contexts. This volume fills in the gap in the existing war film criticism by offering insights into how the Afghanistan War (2001–2021) and the Iraq War (2003–2011) have been represented in popular and documentary filmic productions in Iraq, Afghanistan, Great Britain, Germany, Denmark, Poland, Spain, and Australia. The contributions prove the need for transnationalism as an eye-opening perspective on the war film genre by underscoring nationally-specific social, political and aesthetic differences alongside important correspondences between cultural productions across nations. Transnational film and the US wars in Iraq and Afghanistan will be a key resource for scholars and researchers of film studies, media and cultural studies, film history, war studies, literary criticism and sociology. It was originally published as a special issue of Journal of War & Culture Studies.
