Films About British Society:
British society has long been a subject of fascination and exploration in cinema. From period dramas to gritty portrayals of contemporary life, films about British society offer a window into the cultural, social, and political aspects of the country. These films often delve into themes like class divisions, tradition, identity, and the complexities of human relationships. Here are some notable films that have captured the essence of British society:
“Pride”, 2014
Director: Matthew Warchus
Set in the 1980s, this heartwarming film tells the true story of a group of LGBTQ activists who support the miners' strike. It explores the intersection of different communities and the power of solidarity.
Starring: Bill Nighy, Imelda Staunton, Dominic West, Paddy Considine, Andrew Scott, George MacKay, Joe Gilgun, Ben Schnetzer, Chris Overton, Faye Marsay, Freddie Fox, Jessica Gunning, Joshua Hill, Lisa Palfrey, Liz White, Monica Dolan, Abram Rooney, Jim McManus, Matthew Flynn, Lucy Timmons, Jordan Metcalfe, Roger Morlidge, Dean Ashton, Adam Ewan, Menna Trussler, Karina Fernandez, Jessie Cave, Will Haddington, Rhodri Meilir, Dion Lloyd, Nia Gwynne, Lee Shepherd, Mary-Anne Dymond, Sophie Evans, Dyfan Dwyfor, Jack Baggs, Johnny Gibbon, Kyle Rees, Bryan Parry, Ross Waiton, Joseph Wilkins, Laura Matthews, Christian Patterson, Deddie Davies, Bronwen Lewis, Olwen Medi, Jâms Thomas, Julie Barclay, Matthew Tennyson, Jaimi Barbakoff;
Production year: 2014;
Genre: drama, comedy, history;
MPAA rating: r;
Duration: 120 min.;
Rating: IMDB: 7,8;
More information about the film “Pride” on the website imdb.com
“Billy Elliot”, 2000
Director: Stephen Daldry
This coming-of-age film follows a young boy from a working-class family who dreams of becoming a ballet dancer. Against the backdrop of the 1984-1985 miners' strike, it tackles themes of identity, gender stereotypes, and pursuing one's passion.
Starring: Jamie Bell, Julie Walters, Gary Lewis, Jean Heywood, Jamie Draven, Stuart Wells, Mike Elliot, Billy Fane, Nicola Blackwell, Carol McGuigan, Joe Renton, Colin MacLachlan, Janine Birkett, Trevor Fox, Charlie Hardwick, Denny Ferguson, Dennis Lingard, Matthew James Thomas, Stephen Mangan, Paul Ridley, Patrick Malahide, Barbara Leigh-Hunt, Imogen Claire, Diana Kent, Neil North, Lee Williams, Petra Siniawski, Merelina Kendall, Zoë Bell, Tracey Wilkinson, Merryn Owen, Adam Cooper, Dylan Barnes, Liam Elcoat, Adam Galbraith, Darren Jacobs, Hendrick January, Sharon Percy, Ken Richardson, Leonard Silver, Lee Smikle, Catherine Turgoose, Damian Winter-Higgins;
Production year: 2000;
Genre: drama, music;
MPAA rating: r;
Duration: 110 min.;
Rating: IMDB: 7,7;
“The Remains of the Day”, 1993
Director: James Ivory
Based on Kazuo Ishiguro's novel, this period drama features Anthony Hopkins as a devoted butler reflecting on his life and missed opportunities during the interwar years in Britain. It explores themes of duty, sacrifice, and the fading traditions of the British aristocracy.
Starring: Anthony Hopkins, Emma Thompson, James Fox, Hugh Grant, Christopher Reeve, Peter Vaughan, Michael Lonsdale, Ben Chaplin, Lena Headey, Tim Pigott-Smith, John Haycraft, Caroline Hunt, Paula Jacobs, Steve Dibben, Abigail Hopkins, Patrick Godfrey, Peter Cellier, Peter Halliday, Terence Bayler, Jeffry Wickham, Hugh Sweetman, Brigitte Kahn, John Savident, Tony Aitken, Emma Lewis, Joanna Joseph, Rupert Vansittart, Christopher Brown, Paul Copley, Ian Redford, Jo Kendall, Steven Beard, Pip Torrens, Frank Shelley, Peter Eyre, Jestyn Phillips, Wolf Kähler, Frank Höltje, Andreas Töns, Roger McKern, Angela Newmarch, Keith Gale, Miles Richardson;
Production year: 1993;
Genre: drama, melodrama;
MPAA rating: pg;
Duration: 134 min.;
Rating: IMDB: 7,8;
More information about the film “The Remains of the Day” on the website imdb.com
“Four Weddings and a Funeral”, 1993
Director: Mike Newell
A romantic comedy that revolves around a group of friends attending various weddings and a funeral. With its witty dialogue and charming characters, the film offers a lighthearted exploration of love, relationships, and social gatherings in British society.
Starring: Andie MacDowell, Hugh Grant, James Fleet, Simon Callow, John Hannah, Kristin Scott Thomas, David Bower, Charlotte Coleman, Timothy Walker, Sara Crowe, Ronald Herdman, Elspet Gray, Philip Voss, Rupert Vansittart, Nicola Walker, Paul Stacey, Simon Kunz, Rowan Atkinson, Robin McCaffrey, Michael Mears, Kenneth Griffith, David Haig, Sophie Thompson, Corin Redgrave, Donald Weedon, Nigel Hastings, Emily Morgan, Amanda Mealing, Melissa Knatchbull, Polly Kemp, Anna Chancellor, Hannah Taylor-Gordon, Bernice Stegers, Robert Lang, Jeremy Kemp, Rosalie Crutchley, Ken Drury, Struan Rodger, Lucy Hornak, Randall Paul, Pat Starr, Tim Thomas, Neville Phillips, Susanna Hamnett, John Abbott, Richard Butler, David Wright, Ray Uren, Gordon Blackwell, Ron Griffiths;
Production year: 1993;
Genre: melodrama, comedy, drama;
MPAA rating: r;
Duration: 117 min.;
Rating: IMDB: 7,1;
More information about the film “Four Weddings and a Funeral” on the website imdb.com
“Fish Tank”, 2009
Director: Andrea Arnold
This raw and realistic drama follows a rebellious teenager living in a council estate in Essex. It delves into the challenges faced by working-class families, exploring themes of poverty, family dynamics, and the pursuit of dreams.
Starring: Katie Jarvis, Michael Fassbender, Kierston Wareing, Rebecca Griffiths, Carrie-Ann Savill, Toyin Ogidi, Grant Wild, Sarah Bayes, Charlotte Collins, Kirsty Smith, Chelsea Chase, Brooke Hobby, Harry Treadaway, Syrus, Alan Francis, Ben Francis, Jack Gordon, Jason Maza, Michael Prior, Dave Hawley, Lisa Mahoney, Sarah Counsell, Nick Staverson, Sunanda Biswas, Gavin Cooper, Amir Saleem, Jody Schroeder, Fase Alzakwani, Stella McGowan, Mia Copas, Anthony Geary, Hannah-Marie Keeble, Sydney Mary Nash, Joanna Horton, Charlie Baker, Peter Roue, Geoff McCracken, Val King, Kishana Thomas, Raquel Thomas, Natasha Ilic, Maxine Brogan, Kirsty Page, Georgina Crane, Paul King;
Production year: 2009;
Genre: drama;
Age: 18+;
Duration: 123 min.;
Rating: IMDB: 7,3;
More information about the film “Fish Tank” on the website imdb.com
“The Full Monty”, 1997
Director: Peter Cattaneo
Set in Sheffield, this comedy-drama revolves around a group of unemployed steelworkers who, in an attempt to make ends meet, decide to form a male strip act. It humorously explores themes of masculinity, unemployment, and the changing face of British industry.
Starring: Robert Carlyle, Mark Addy, Wim Snape, Tom Wilkinson, Steve Huison, Paul Barber, Hugo Speer, Lesley Sharp, Emily Woof, Deirdre Costello, Paul Butterworth, Dave Hill, Bruce Jones, Andrew Livingston, Vinny Dhillon, Kate Layden, Joanna Swain, Diane Lane, Kate Rutter, June Broughton, Glenn Cunningham, Chris Brailsford, Steve Garti, Malcolm Pitt, Dennis Blanch, Daryl Fishwick, David Lonsdale, Muriel Hunte, Fiona Watts, Theresa Maduemezia, Fiona Nelson, The British Steel Stocksbridge Band, Marie Jackman, Arnold Montey, Enn Reitel, Elaine Young;
Production year: 1997;
Genre: drama, comedy;
MPAA rating: r;
Duration: 88 min.;
Rating: IMDB: 7,2;
More information about the film “The Full Monty” on the website imdb.com
“A Room with a View”, 1985
Director: James Ivory
Based on E.M. Forster's novel, this period drama follows a young woman's journey of self-discovery and love in Edwardian England. It offers a glimpse into the societal norms, class distinctions, and repressed desires of the time.
Starring: Helena Bonham Carter, Julian Sands, Daniel Day-Lewis, Judi Dench, Simon Callow, Maggie Smith, Denholm Elliott, Patrick Godfrey, Fabia Drake, Joan Henley, Amanda Walker, Maria Britneva, Rosemary Leach, Rupert Graves, Peter Cellier, Mia Fothergill, Kitty Aldridge, Brigid Erin Bates, Isabella Celani, Luigi Di Fiore, Matyelok Gibbs, Mirio Guidelli, Freddy Korner, Patricia Lawrence, Elizabeth Marangoni, Peter Munt, Luca Rossi, Stefano Serboli, Phillada Sewell, Margaret Ward, Leslie Adams, Mark Heenehan, Royston Munt, James Wilby;
Production year: 1985;
Genre: melodrama, drama;
Age: 16+;
Duration: 117 min.;
Rating: IMDB: 7,2;
More information about the film “A Room with a View” on the website imdb.com
“Trainspotting”, 1995
Director: Danny Boyle
Set in Edinburgh, this dark and gritty drama follows a group of heroin addicts as they navigate the highs and lows of addiction. It explores themes of social alienation, disillusionment, and the impact of drug culture on British society.
Starring: Ewan McGregor, Ewen Bremner, Jonny Lee Miller, Kevin McKidd, Robert Carlyle, Kelly Macdonald, Peter Mullan, James Cosmo, Eileen Nicholas, Susan Vidler, Pauline Lynch, Shirley Henderson, Stuart McQuarrie, Dale Winton, Keith Allen, Kevin Allen, Annie Louise Ross, Billy Riddoch, Fiona Bell, Vincent Friell, Hugh Ross, Victor Eadie, Kate Donnelly, Finlay Welsh, Eddie Nestor, Tom Delmar, Archie MacPherson, Stuart McGugan, Alastair Thomson Mills, Arnold Montey, Dirk Robertson;
Production year: 1995;
Genre: drama, crime;
MPAA rating: r;
Duration: 93 min.;
Rating: IMDB: 8,1;
More information about the film “Trainspotting” on the website imdb.com
These films provide a diverse range of perspectives on British society, showcasing its complexities, contradictions, and ever-evolving nature. Whether through historical periods or contemporary settings, they offer a captivating exploration of the people, traditions, and societal issues that shape the fabric of British life.
In conclusion, films that delve into British society offer a rich tapestry of narratives that reflect the complexities and nuances of its cultural landscape. From the gritty realism of working-class struggles in films like “This is England” to the satirical exploration of class and privilege in “The Favourite,” these cinematic works provide not only entertainment but also critical commentary on social issues, historical contexts, and the evolving identity of Britain. Through their diverse storytelling and character portrayals, these films invite audiences to engage with the intricate layers of British life, fostering a deeper understanding of its societal dynamics and the shared human experiences that resonate across borders.
