Film Studies: 5 Classics from the Golden Age of British Cinema

The Golden Age of British cinema itself spans a period of vast change, both in production and audience consumption, the 1940s themselves, often regarded as ‘the’ greatest decade in British cinema spans a period of global conflict, with U.K cinema attendance peaking as films and directors attract global attention. We examine a compelling selection from the 1940s and beyond, taking in some arguably now lesser referenced classics such as Ealing’s Pink String & Sealing Wax – a film pre-dating the familiar comedies the studio would become known for. Likewise, Ealing ‘rivals’ Gainsborough would make overnight stars of its leads in The Man in Grey. Away from period costume and melodrama Alexander Korda’s Technicolor fantasy The Thief of Bagdad would suffer a troubled production but prove a box office success in the US whilst also showcasing the emerging talents its co-director Michael Powell. Into the 1950s, Reach for the Sky highlights a change in approach to WW2 on screen after the war. With 1961’s Victim indicating the emergence of a different era, one which would openly challenge social and political taboos but also one of box office and critical struggle. We consider audience appeal and interpretation then and now. Pink String and Sealing Wax (1945), The Man in Grey (1945), The Thief of Bagdad (1940), Reach for the Sky (1955), Victim (1961).