Film Studies: 5 Channel Four Films Revisited

With a founding remit to deliver high-quality, innovative, alternative content that challenges the status quo, Channel Four Film (officially rebranded as Film Four in 1998) was founded in 1982 and is now regarded by many as ‘revitalising’ UK cinema at a time when it was floundering. Channel Four Films first big cinematic hit was Stephen Frears’ My Beautiful Laundrette. Deals with various distributors allowed for investment in international films. Deals with various independent producers such as Merchant Ivory led to a brand being noted for ‘heritage’ period drama but also increasingly challenging/off the wall as well as ‘kitchen sink’ content. Films such as Four Weddings and a Funeral earned big at the box office, breaking the ‘heritage cinema’ trend but how did it reflect a changed/changing Britain? We examine a cross section of output, has it stuck to its founding remit? Could it be seen to change as it reflects a need to be alternative challenge to the status quo of different times? What might we say is the Film Four’s greatest quality? My Beautiful Launderette (1985), Four Weddings & A Funeral (1994), A Room with a View (1985), The Personal History of David Copperfield (2019), Last Night in Soho (2021)