Get Free Shipping on orders over $79
Past and Present : National Identity and the British Historical Film - James Chapman

Past and Present

National Identity and the British Historical Film

By: James Chapman

Paperback | 21 January 2005 | Edition Number 1

At a Glance

Paperback


$86.75

or 4 interest-free payments of $21.69 with

 or 

Ships in 10 to 15 business days

This ground-breaking book takes as its focal point director Ken Loach's view that 'The only reason to make films that are a reflection on history is to talk about the present.' In the first book to take on this major genre in all its complexity, James Chapman argues that historical films say as much about the times in which they are made as about the past they purport to portray. Through in-depth case studies of fourteen key films spanning the 1930s up to the turn of the twenty first century, from The Private Life of Henry VIII and Zulu to Chariots of Fire and Elizabeth, Chapman examines the place of historical films in British cinema history and film culture. Looking closely at the issues that they present, from gender, class and ethnicity to militarism and imperialism, he also discusses controversies over historical accuracy, and the ways in which devices such as voice overs, title captions, and visual references to photographs and paintings assert a sense of historical verisimilitude.
Exploring throughout the book the dialectical relationship between past and present, Chapman reveals how such films promote British achievements - but also sometimes question them - and how they project images of 'Britishness' to audiences both in the UK and internationally.

Industry Reviews
'...there's lots to savour here.' - The Times 'The book raises some intriguing issues, but more importantly provides some engaging and enlightening facts and figures about the making and critical reception of each film, making this a history lesson well worth taking.' - Film Review

More in Film Styles & Genres

The Definitive Guide to Horror Movies : Horror Essentials - Kim Newman
Wicked : The Complete Screenplay - Insight Editions

RRP $49.99

$37.99

24%
OFF
Acting and performance in Hitchcock - Adrian Garvey
Wicked : The Ultimate Pop-Up Book - Matthew Reinhart

RRP $125.00

$86.75

31%
OFF
Godzilla : The Official Guide to the King of the Monsters - Toho Co. Ltd
Cinema Speculation - Quentin Tarantino

RRP $24.99

$21.75

13%
OFF
The Art and Soul of Dune : Part Two - Tanya Lapointe

RRP $105.00

$51.99

50%
OFF
The Museum of Unnatural History - David M Henley

RRP $32.99

$18.75

43%
OFF
Godzilla : The Official Pop-Up Book - Matthew Reinhart

RRP $85.00

$61.99

27%
OFF
William Shakespeare's Jedi the Last : Star Wars Part the Eighth - Ian  Doescher
Harry Potter Crochet : Crochet Kits - Lucy Collin
The Making of Alien : Alien - J. W. Rinzler

RRP $95.00

$67.99

28%
OFF
Surely You Can't Be Serious : The True Story of Airplane! - David Zucker