16 + GUIDE - British Film Institute

Johnson. Williams talks about what kind of films influenced him on the making of BELLY and
what his intentions were for the lead female characters in the film.
British Gangsters
compiled by Ayesha Khan
Books
CHIBNALL, Steve and MURPHY, Robert (eds.)
British crime cinema.
Routledge, 1999. vi-x, 215p. illus. filmog. index.
This study of the crime genre in British filmmaking is essential to anyone studying the subject.
This book provides an overview of the subject and examines a number of the key films;
tracing the history of the British crime genre, from one of critical neglect to its newly found
‘cool’. In terms of critiquing certain films it is stronger at looking at films from the 1960’s and
beyond than in the preceding years with films such as GET CARTER and PERFORMANCE
being particularly well represented and other films such as THE LONG GOOD FRIDAY being
used as examples.
BARR, Charles (ed.)
All our yesterdays: 90 years of British cinema.
British Film Institute, 1986. 446p. illus. bibliog. filmog. index.
In a chapter entitled ‘Riff-Raff: British crime cinema and the underworld’, Robert Murphy
details the history of British crime cinema up to the 1950’s. In particular he highlights the
problems filmmakers had with the BBFC and contemporary newspapers that frowned upon
the depiction of anything too realistic.
CATTERALL, Ali and WELLS, Simon
Your face here: British cult movies since the Sixties.
Fourth Estate, 2001. xvi, 282p. filmog. bibliog. index.
An essential book for those studying PERFORMANCE, GET CARTER and LOCK, STOCK AND
TWO SMOKING BARRELS. Written by people clearly enthusiastic about the films, each film is
given its own chapter in which the films histories are written in detail, with more than a fair
amount of fascinating anecdotal information.
LANDY, Marcia
British genres: cinema and society, 1930-1960.
Princeton University Press, 1991. 553p. [24] plates. filmog. bibliog. index.
Though not specifically about gangster films, the chapter on the Social Problem film includes
some discussion on BRIGHTON ROCK and other crime films from the time. Landy describes
the ‘Social Problem’ film as being the “dramatization of topical social issues” with these films
combining a dramatic storyline with social analyses. In post WWII Britain issues of concern
included poverty, delinquency, crime and punishment (amongst others). This academic text
provides an essential overview of British film genres and society.
48