British Film Research Articles

Roll of honour films: a reappraisal

ABSTRACT Roll of honour films, showing photographs of local men who were serving in the First World War, appeared in British cinemas from early 1915. Widely produced at the time, only 12 such films have survived, four of which are held at Imperial War Museums (IWM). This article concentrates on the roll of honour films held at IWM from cinemas in Yorkshire, Essex and Lancashire. Concurring with previous studies, this essay explains the roll of honour film as a development of existing cinema practises, the new genre functioning as a strategy of practical patriotism. However, making use of new sources, this article gives a fuller account of the genre’s origins and shows that it was more substantial and long-lasting than has been recognised. It also makes observations about the nature of the roll of honour films that places them in the context of military and photographic history. As well as producing a detailed visual analysis which reveals some illuminating patterns about the gene, contextual research shows that one of the IWM examples was produced long after it is believed that the genre had died out.

Maurice Elvey and Hindle Wakes: ‘the greatest English play ever written’

ABSTRACT Maurice Elvey (1887–1967) was Britain’s most prolific filmmaker, with a long career lasting over 40 years, yet little critical attention has been paid to his work. He was a significant figure in the British film trade, particularly in the 1910s and 1920s, operating in a fast growing but financially challenged industry that faced overwhelming competition from the United States. Before turning his attention to film, Elvey worked in the theatre, taking small roles in mainstream productions, and later gaining the confidence to stage more innovative work. His radical theatrical experiments of the early 1910s were not replicated in his films, where he tended to focus on adaptations of popular melodramas, songs, paintings, and biographies. However, his two adaptations of Stanley Houghton’s Hindle Wakes (1912), which he considered to be ‘the greatest English play ever written’, provide a tangible link between his theatrical and filmmaking careers. This article outlines Elvey’s early experiments with radical theatre, in which he was active around the same time as the first staging of Hindle Wakes; explores his persistence in staging controversial subjects; and suggests that Houghton’s play provided a suitable vehicle for retaining some of that controversy once Elvey was established as a filmmaker. It also offers a close analysis of both Elvey’s lost 1918 film adaptation, based on surviving evidence, and his second 1927 version, which he named as one of the handful of his 1920s films worthy of preservation.

‘A Brilliant Meteor Across the Filmic Heavens’: Brigitte Helm in British Film Culture, 1926–33

This article examines German star Brigitte Helm within British film culture across 1926–33. I identify three stages in her active career on British screens. Firstly, I analyse the impact of her debut role in Metropolis (1927), demonstrating how Helm was central to its marketing and reception within the UK – and how this legacy shaped her subsequent stardom within British film culture. Secondly, I argue that the apogee of Helm’s stardom within the UK was 1929–30, when her silent films achieved their greatest critical and commercial successes. I show that she became a central figure not just to popular trade discussion, but to highbrow critics associated with Close Up. Finally, I identify the specific circumstances that led to her premature disappearance from British screens after 1933. I analyse how – despite her English-language productions of 1931–32 – the coming of sound limited her appeal to the UK market, a situation exacerbated by the breakdown of industrial/political relations with Germany. Through an analysis of a wide range of contemporary trade and press material, I present Helm as a case study of the shifting industrial and cultural landscape of a transitional era of British film culture.

‘Making Every Seat for Everyone’: Audience Development Research Report for New Independent Cinema FilmLab

The British independent film industry has experienced a consistent decline in revenues over the past decades, resulting in heightened competition among independent cinemas. FilmLab, a newly established independent cinema affiliated with ArtsLab - a highly regarded arts organisation in Edinburgh – has commissioned this report in response to its client brief. The aim is to help FilmLab attract wider audiences using limited financial resources. We adopted audience development as the approach to address these concerns because of its two characteristics: first, its social objective of making the arts widely accessible, and second, its equal attention to the needs of existing and potential audiences. Existing research emphasises the significance of reducing barriers to participation in the audience development process. However, much of the previous work in this field has primarily focused on mainstream cinema attendance. As a result, the applicability of these findings for niche, less economically productive independent cinemas remains unclear. Therefore, this report mainly examines the barriers that prevent Edinburgh residents from independent cinemas and explores how FimLab can increase participation among different groups by creating more opportunities for participation. Through a questionnaire and eight follow-up interviews with Edinburgh residents, along with semi-structured interviews with five industry experts, we identified barriers and potential incentives in four crucial aspects: visibility, attractiveness, affordability, and sustainability. Meanwhile, we developed corresponding recommendations. We propose that independent cinemas could serve as open and accessible spaces for all audiences by reducing the common barriers to audience participation. The findings of this report may offer references for the identification of barriers to independent cinema attendance, while our strategies could inspire audience development strategies for independent cinemas.

Corpus-based cultivation of critical language awareness

This study examines the use of English film subtitles to cultivate critical language awareness (CLA) and enhance language skills via a corpus-based approach. Creating and analyzing a specialized corpus of film subtitles reveals the cultural, social, and ideological dimensions of language usage. The findings show that film subtitles provide an authentic context for language learning, improving the comprehension of diverse linguistic expressions. This approach fosters cultural awareness and critical thinking, bridging linguistic proficiency and cultural understanding. While focusing on English, the methodology is adaptable to various languages. This research offers novel insights into language education, particularly in applying corpus-based methods for CLA and practical language skill enhancement.

Role of dysphemisms in the English-language film space

The topicality of undertaken research is determined by the constantly changing social norms in modern society, which are reflected in the cinematographic world. Cinematography provides a golden opportunity to consider and analyze a range of unique linguistic phenomena. The major purpose of the present paper is to study the phenomenon of dysphemisation in the English-speaking film space based on the set of the following films in English: Green Book by the American film director, Peter J. Farrelly, the screen adaptation of the autobiography 12 Years a Slave by Terrence S. McQueen, the well-known film The Help by Tate Taylor and the biographical drama Hidden Figures by Theodore Melfi. In the films the main storyline is generally based on the aspect of discrimination against persons of certain racial backgrounds and women, based on the policy of the United States of America during the infamous period of slavery (XVII–XIX centuries) and the historical era of segregation (XIX–XX centuries). During the study theoretical methods (analysis and synthesis) and empirical methods (observation and description) were used. As a result of the conducted study, the classification of dysphemistic lexical units was determined in terms of author’s intentions (dysphemisms with an emphasis on a different skin color; dysphemisms-comparisons with animals, plants and inanimate objects; dysphemisms-designations of social status; dysphemisms expressing gender discrimination), as well as their role and reason for use in the selected set of films – demonstration of a biased, cruel attitude towards recipients and also a reflection of the socio-cultural environment that encompassed US society during the historical time period under study.

Effects of English Film Subtitle on the Vocabulary Level of Grade-11 Students in a private school in Sipocot, Camarines Sur

This study aimed to determine the effects of reading subtitles on the vocabulary level of Grade-11 students in a private school in Sipocot, Camarines Sur. The study employed a pre-experimental design with static group comparison and descriptive correlational methods. The data gathering tools used were a survey questionnaire and a researcher-made test. The test was used to assess the vocabulary level of the respondents. The study found that there was a significant difference in the language proficiency of respondents who read subtitles and those who did not, in terms of vocabulary, form, meaning, and use. The respondents who read subtitles demonstrated a higher level of language proficiency in vocabulary compared to those who did not read subtitles. The study also found that there was no significant relationship between the extent of reading subtitles and vocabulary level in terms of form and meaning, but there was a significant relationship in terms of use only. Based on the findings, the study concluded that reading subtitles while watching English films can expand vocabulary level for further purposes.

Use of case study technologies based on feature films in teaching business English at a university

In the modern world, proficiency in foreign languages has become an important factor for successful employment and career growth. However, lack of motivation and sufficient speech practice can become an obstacle on the way to the formation of the necessary speech skills. In this regard, as a solution to this problem, the use of case study technology is proposed. The author of the study has developed a series of cases based on feature films in English, aimed at students of levels B1 and B2. The aim of the work was to create methodological recommendations for designing cases based on films and their implementation in English classes. The author examines the stages of case design, starting from formulating the problem and choosing a film to organizing classes using the developed cases. The paper emphasizes that the use of feature films as a basis for case studies activates the listening skills in a foreign language, enriches students’ vocabulary and stimulates their active participation in the discussion of the issue. The author comes to the conclusion that film-based cases contribute to the activation of students’ interaction in a foreign language, develop their communicative skills and teamwork skills, as well as formation of professional skills. In addition, the use of those cases facilitate the development of such soft skills as information analysis, critical thinking, and activity planning. Thus, the study demonstrates that the educational approach based on the use of feature films contributes to more effective teaching of English, improves the quality of the learning process, and increases students’ motivation in general.

The Mistress of Bond: Eileen Sullivan, and the Role of Cutting the Cloth of James Bond's Wardrobe and Beyond

This article spotlights the work of Eileen Sullivan and her career as a wardrobe mistress, later wardrobe supervisor, which included working on the James Bond films from Dr No (1962) until You Only Live Twice (1967). It will further consider how her career and role as a wardrobe mistress and supervisor changed within the British film industry from the mid-1940s until the mid-1980s, through personal papers shared by her family with me. Alongside this, the article draws upon papers available in the Film Finances Archive, the British Film Institute (BFI) and the British Library. This article will work to redress the absence in scholarship on the labour provided by costume workers below that of the costume designer, which as Melanie Williams (2016) has previously recognised, has been rendered invisible despite their costume work appearing on screen that contributes to the overall visual coherence of a film’s design. It will also address the difficulties of researching the work of wardrobe personnel who have hitherto remained unacknowledged in broader scholarship, and analyse the role of the wardrobe mistress and supervisor including agency and labour, and the impact of caring responsibilities on this ‘gendered’ role.

Barbara Broccoli and the Popular Image of the Bond Producer

Of all the women involved in the James Bond film franchise over the years, for the last three decades producer Barbara Broccoli has had the greatest power and influence on its development. Since taking over as co-producer (alongside half-brother Michael G. Wilson) of the Bond films in the mid-1990s, Broccoli is constantly mentioned in relationship to James Bond, yet there has been no academic attention paid to her role as Bond producer. This article will address this oversight in Bond studies and contribute to the growing area of scholarship on the producer in the British film industry by analysing the popular image of ‘the Bond producer’ using promotional materials and press coverage. The approach adopted in this article is framed in terms of a negative stereotype of (male) film producers that is widely generalised, and pressbook evidence showing that the original Bond producers Albert R. ‘Cubby’ Broccoli and Harry Saltzman were positively caricatured in the Bond film publicity. It will consider the enduring legacy of the ‘Men Behind James Bond’ producer image to examine the role played by Broccoli in the discourses of marketing and promotion during the Pierce Brosnan and Daniel Craig eras. The article will demonstrate that although a high degree of public visibility might be expected to come with the role of Bond producer, the woman behind the image and the day-to-day business of film production largely remains hidden in favour of the authorised narratives shaped by the earlier promotional materials, references made to Bondian character types or popular discourses of gender which the mainstream press reproduce. In so doing the article will reflect on debates about gender and diversity in the Bond franchise to connect to wider discourses around inclusivity in British popular culture that have come to the fore in recent years.

Influence of value orientations on a taboo system formation (based on the British feature film “Finding Your Feet”)

Influence of value orientations on a taboo system formation (based on the British feature film “Finding Your Feet”)

Comparative VOD catalogue research: Circulation, presence and prominence of British content in Europe

Video-on-demand (VoD) platforms have become primary spaces for encounters with transnational film and television, particularly among younger audiences. The expansion of global US-owned VoD services like Netflix has generated questions about the availability, discoverability, and prominence of domestic and European content, making the issue of how to analyse VoD catalogues pressing. Two perspectives are prevalent in VoD catalogue research: ‘back-end’ research emphasising composition and circulation; and ‘front-end’ analysing content presentation and discoverability. Quantitative methods facilitate comparative and longitudinal analyses of what is found on which VoD catalogues. Qualitative methods examine where and how audiences find content. This article, fostering synergy between the two, probes (1) the significance of VoD catalogue research in understanding the dynamics of transnational content flows and audience behaviours, and (2) its methodological possibilities and limitations. Focusing on British content in European VoD catalogues, it draws on two research projects: EUVoD (Aarhus Universitets Forskningsfond AUFF, 2021–2024), analysing the developing European VoD market within changing conditions of competition and policy; and Screen Encounters with Britain (AHRC, 2022–2025), investigating young Europeans’ use of British film and TV. The article utilises the European Audiovisual Observatory’s databases of European works and the streaming guide JustWatch.com, combined with systematic tracking of VoD landing pages. It thus maps content availability, popularity, and promotional strategies across different European markets and services, showcasing how patterns of presence, prominence and circulation shape probable audience encounters with non-domestic content. The article probes methodological considerations, complexities and caveats applicable to wider catalogue research into transnational media. In the case of British content availability on VoD, it shows how a vast number of ca. 15,000 individual UK titles available in European catalogues boils down to about 200 titles that can be easily found on Netflix, and 70 titles there of that young audiences (aged 16–34) recall as UK shows they know and remember.

Revisiting Sex, Class and Realism: British Cinema 1956–1963

This article looks back at the context in which Sex, Class and Realism: British Cinema 1956–1963 was written, the issues it addressed and some of the influences on it. It then considers some of the criticisms it has received and assesses its contribution to the study of British cinema of this period.

The Demotic Impulse of the Kitchen-Sink Dramas

In this article, I suggest a historical and theoretical re-evaluation of the British New Wave from the point of view of its demotic impulse. I begin by situating the kitchen-sink films within a broader framework of post-war innovation, driven by an aspiration to realism that reinvigorated British cinema and television within a novel historical conjuncture. I then investigate the specificity of British New Wave’s realism – with an emphasis on the films Saturday Night and Sunday Morning and A Taste of Honey – and consider their contribution to the development of an indigenous aesthetic, characterised by a demotic impulse. The relevance of the notion of demotic in the post-war cultural panorama can be attributed to the ‘equalising’ powers of the Second World War. As I will suggest, a prolific parallel can be established with another moment of historical transition during what Eric Hobsbawm called ‘the age of revolution’, in which the spirit of egalitarianism equally lay at the root of the search for a demotic. Here, I will focus on William Wordsworth’s poetic revolution to investigate the notions of egalitarianism and of demotic, which I believe can further our understanding of post-war realism in the British audio-visual landscape.

Josephine Botting, Adrian Brunel and British Cinema of the 1920s: The Artist versus the Moneybags

Josephine Botting, <i>Adrian Brunel and British Cinema of the 1920s: The Artist versus the Moneybags</i>

New Wave Women: Paying Attention to Brenda and Doreen in Saturday Night and Sunday Morning

Scholarship in British film history has tended to suggest that the female characters in New Wave films are marginalised, dismissively associated with the trappings of consumer culture and responsible for the ultimate containment of their ‘Angry Young Men’ protagonists. In Sex, Class and Realism, which was published in 1986, John Hill situates the New Wave in relation to broader socio-economic and cultural changes in post-war Britain, including women’s shifting relationships with work, motherhood, family life and patterns of consumption. However, he concludes that the cycle failed to register women’s changing lives in the late 1950s and identifies the ‘dramatic and thematic subordination of female characters’ and a ‘streak of misogyny’ running through the cycle. Revisiting the treatment of women in the British New Wave, this article focuses on the characters Brenda and Doreen in Saturday Night and Sunday Morning, and instead explores how Rachel Roberts and Shirley Anne Field’s performances offer potent expressions of women’s changing lives in this period. Poised between representing individual desires, confidence and autonomy, and feelings of frustration, reserve and uncertainty, their performances vividly convey their characters’ experiences and expectations in ways that chimed with mobilities and new constructions of selfhood that were increasingly being practised by a ‘transition’ generation of young women in post-war Britain. I argue that Roberts’s and Field’s performances evoke the feelings of two different, working-class women, for whom expressions of assertiveness, sexuality and aspiration are shaped by contradictions, anxieties and feelings of vulnerability. In doing so, the article foregrounds and re-contextualises Roberts’s and Field’s contributions to the New Wave, recognising their representation of contemporary femininities in flux; and explores the promotion and critical reception of their roles, highlighting the tensions between social realism and glamour that shaped their New Wave stardom.

Alex Rock, The Metropolitan Police and the British Film Industry, 1919–1956: Public Relations, Collaboration and Control

Alex Rock, <i>The Metropolitan Police and the British Film Industry, 1919–1956: Public Relations, Collaboration and Control</i>

The Effects of Watching Authentic English Videos with and Without Subtitle on EFL Learner’s Motivation in Listening Skills at SMAN 3 Kediri

This study aims to examine the effect of watching original English videos with or without subtitles on the listening ability of EFL students at SMA 3 Kediri. This research uses quantitative methods. The research participants consisted of a group of EFL students, taken from class XII-IPS 2 at SMAN 3 Kediri. And data is collected through tests from previous listening results and questionnaires. This intervention involved exposing participants to original English-language videos in two conditions: one with English subtitles and the other without English subtitles. Motivational factors influencing student engagement with learning materials were explored through analysis of questionnaire responses. The findings show that the use of subtitles has a significant effect on students' listening abilities, while most students are motivated to watch English films. The recommendations of this research can help develop learning approaches that suit the needs of EFL students in the region.

A Politics of Working-Class Culture and the Culture of Working-Class Politics: The Aesthetics and Activism of Amber Film and Photography Collective and the Berwick Street Film Collective

This paper examines how Amber Film and Photography Collective’s working-class affiliations and Berwick Street Film Collective’s middle-class makeup shaped their divergent approaches to depicting ‘working-class issues’ by drawing on the films of both collectives, alongside archival materials and oral testimonies. By engaging in a comparative reading, I highlight the breadth of Amber’s oeuvre, tracing the development of their filmmaking strategies—which included agitprop, the fusion of factual and fictional formal elements and transnational collaboration with the German DemocraticRepublic’s film production company, Deutsche Film-Aktiengesellschaft (DEFA)—to demonstrate that, contrary to criticisms levelled by contemporary theorists clustered around Screen magazine and the British Film Institute, Amber transcended the constraints of Documentary Realism by incorporating radical avant-garde aesthetics into their oppositional practice. Concomitantly, Amber’s radical filmmaking is positioned as relative to its members’ working-class solidarities, with their concern for championing working-class cultures contrasted with Berwick Street’s broader political agendas. Through foregrounding this politics/culture dialectic, the practical repercussions of Berwick Street’s middle-class representation of ‘working-class interests’ are investigated while the theoretical criteria by which avant-garde depictions of ‘working-class issues’ are evaluated are themselves assessed.

A corpus-based study of translating idioms from English into Arabic using audio-visual translation

PurposeAudio-visual translation (AVT) is recognized as the most vibrant type of translation. While AVT plays a vital function in the field of translation, its significance within cultural studies hasn’t been thoroughly investigated. This research aims to uncover the predominant techniques employed in translating idiomatic expressions found in subtitled movies from English to Arabic.Design/methodology/approachThe corpus utilized in the current study consisted of five movies. The dialog in the chosen English films was examined to identify idiomatic expressions. The occurrence and proportion of each approach employed in translating English idioms into Arabic were calculated.FindingsThe findings of this investigation unveiled that the most common technique employed by translators to render idioms was retaining both similar meaning and similar form. The second approach involved maintaining a similar meaning while altering the form. The third method involved paraphrasing for translation. The fourth strategy was compensation-based translation. When dealing with verb and object idioms as well as similes, the predominant techniques were retaining both similar meaning and similar form, followed by a similar meaning but different form approach. Compound idioms were translated using paraphrasing, similar meaning but different form and similar meaning but different form strategies.Originality/valueThe research was constrained to examining the utilization of subtitles for the translation of five films. The films and corresponding Arabic subtitles were obtained and saved in plain text formats. Solely idiomatic expressions were scrutinized to determine the translation approaches employed through the use of subtitles.