British Cinema and the Second World WarThe Second World War was such a cataclysmic event that its echoes still reverberate over fifty years after it ended. One of the prime means of exploring the impact of the war has been the feature film. From In Which We Serve, Millions Like Us and The Way to the Stars, made during the war, to Above Us the Waves and the Dam Busters made in the 1950s, the war film became a staple of British cinema - but popular success was not paralleled by critical approval. Most criticism of British war films has been negative and sometimes derogatory, partly because of an intellectual preference for European and Hollywood cinema, and partly as a reaction against films which seemed to celebrate war. However, sufficient historical distance has now opened up to allow a more judicious view. From modestly budgeted, small-scale dramas like Sea of Sand to expensive and ambitious recreations of famous battles like A Bridge Too Far, these films show an impressive attention to truth and authenticity. |
Contents
War Comedy | 33 |
Film and Propaganda | 54 |
Films of Resistance and Subversion | 81 |
Dark Legacies of the War | 179 |
The Heyday of the British | 204 |
The Enduring Fascination of the Second | 239 |
Filmography | 269 |
313 | |
Index of Film Titles | 323 |
Index of Names | 331 |
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
ability action activity Aircraft Is Missing Analysis and Design Anthony approach aspects beliefs bombing Britain cf Charts Chapter Christian church and community cinema co-consultancy collaborative consultancy help consultancy processes consultancy services consultancy sessions consultant's consultants and consultors consultors and consultants Convocation creative critical Dam Busters David described diaconal discussion documentary Ealing effective emotional energy engaged Eric Portman experience explore facilitating feel George German help consultors his/her human and spiritual ideas interaction involved John John Mills kind Marcel Varnel Methodist Michael ministry mission Moore Marriott nature Nazis non-directive organizations participation pastoral Patricia Roc Pimpernel Smith played possible practice theory practitioners problems programmes realistic reflective relation religious resistance responsibility Richard Attenborough role s/he San Demetrio London Ships with Wings situation skills story theological things thinking Trevor Howard U-boat understanding vocational war films women work-views workers