Representation of

Britishness

Comparison of films through the decades:

Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason
Educating Rita
Up The Junction
Up The Junction
 Up The Junction
 Director: Peter Collinson

 Year of release: 1968

 Based on the Book called

Up The Junction by Nell Dunn

 Production companies:
 BHE Films, Paramount Pictures
(Distributor, USA)

 Principal cast: Dennis Waterman,

Suzy Kendall, Maureen Lipman.

 Notable personnel:
Soundtrack was written by Manfred Mann
and Mike Hugg.
The Plot
Polly Dean (Suzy Kendall) gives up a
privileged life in Chelsea and moves to
a working class community in
Battersea where she takes a job in a
confectionery factory in an attempt to
distance herself from her moneyed
upbringing and learn to make a living
for herself.

She becomes friends with two

working class girls and forms a
relationship with a working class boy
who envies her access to an easy life
and is frustrated by her denial of it.
 Key Events in Britain in the
1960s
 The decade was labeled the Swinging Sixties because of the
libertine attitudes that emerged during this decade. A
„counterculture‟ was created in the second half of the decade which
consisted of young people revolting against the conservative norms
of the time, as well as remove themselves from main stream
liberalism.
 The 1960s have become synonymous with all the new, exciting,
radical, and subversive events and trends of the period, which
continued to develop in the 1970s, 1980s, 1990s and beyond. In
Africa the 1960s was a period of radical political change as 32
countries gained independence from their European colonial rulers.
 Popular Culture
 The counterculture movement dominated the second half of the
1960s, its most famous moments being the Summer of Love in San
Francisco in 1967, and the Woodstock Festival in upstate New York
in 1969. Psychedelic drugs, especially LSD, were widely used
medicinally, spiritually and recreationally throughout the late 1960s.
 Films defining the decade:
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1960s

 Some of Hollywood's most notable blockbuster

films of the 1960s include: Psycho,
Breakfast at Tiffany's, The Birds,
The Pink Panther, Mary Poppins,
The Sound of Music; The Jungle Book,
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid;
Bonnie and Clyde; The Graduate;
Night of the Living Dead; Easy Rider;

Planet of the Apes; The Lion In Winter;

The Wild Bunch.

 The counterculture movement had a

significant effect on cinema. Movies turned
increasingly dramatic, unbalanced, and hectic
as the cultural revolution was starting. This was the beginning of the New Hollywood era
that dominated the next decade in theatres and revolutionized the movie industry. Films
such as Arthur Penn's Bonnie and Clyde (1967), and Roman Polanski's Rosemary's
Baby (1968) are examples of this new, edgy direction.
 Films of this time also focused on the changes happening in the world. Dennis Hopper's
Easy Rider (1969) focused on the drug culture of the time.
Representation Of Britishness
 Up The Junction focuses on working
class life in Battersea in the 1960s and
the contrast between the working
class life and the lives of the
privileged.

 Up The Junction is set in Battersea,

London which then in the 1960s was
seen as a very working class and
rather depressed district, the main
female protagonist (Polly) represents
the contrast between Battersea and
Chelsea with Chelsea being a wealthy
area and the residences being mainly
upper middle class.
 Polly, the main female protagonist, is a
countertype of a typical Chelsea girl in
the 1960s, she moves to Battersea to
prove to herself that she can be
independent.
 Representation Of Britishness
 Up The Junction is part of the
British New Wave cinema which
focuses on social realism within
Britain.
 Social realist texts usually focus
on the type of characters not
generally found in mainstream
films. This has usually involved
the representation of the working
class at moments of social and
economic change.
 Free Cinema and New Wave
chose to represent the working
class neither in victim mode, nor
in heroic worker mode as had
been done previously. The
working class were to be seen as
more energetic and vibrant.
Source: http://blogs.warwick.ac.uk/michaelwalford/tag/film_genres/
Educating Rita
 Summary
 GENRE(S): Comedy | Drama | Romance
 WRITTEN BY: Willy Russell
 DIRECTED BY: Lewis Gilbert
 TAGLINE: A comedy about a teacher and a
very memorable student
 STARS Michael Caine and Julie Walters

 Bored with teaching undergraduates English

literature, Frank Bryant (Michael Caine) reflects QuickTime™ an d a
TIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor
through a whisky glass on his failed marriage are need ed to see this p icture .
and his attempt at becoming a poet. His world is
turned upside down by the arrival of Rita (Julie
Walters), a hairdresser who has decided to find
herself by taking an Open University course.
Excited by her freewheeling and acute
observations, Frank also feels a deep sadness
as he watches her warm impulsive reactions
being replaced by the sort of cold analytical
approach he so much loathes in other students
and colleagues. (IMDB)
 Awards
 Won Best Actor,
Actress and Film at
the 1984 BAFTA
QuickTime™ an d a

awards. TIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor

are need ed to see this picture .

 Nominated for Best

Actor, Actress and
Writer at the 1984
Oscars.
 Films of the 1980’s
 The 1980s saw the continued rise of the
blockbuster, an increased amount of nudity
in film and the increasing emphasis in the
American industry on film franchises,
especially in the science fiction, horror, and
action genres. Much of the reliance on QuickTime™ and a
TIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor
these effect-driven blockbusters was due are need ed to see this picture.
in part to the Star Wars films at the advent
of this decade and the new cinematic
effects it helped to pioneer.
 The teen comedy sub-genre saw its
popularity rise during this decade
 The 1980’s
 In the 1980‟s was also known as the Thatcher era. Unemployment
skyrocketed and social ills such as homelessness and absolute
poverty, which had been almost entirely eradicated in Britain during
the post-war era, became common features of British life again.
 The 1980s: Renaissance and Recession
 Although major American productions, such as The Empire Strikes
Back and Superman II, continued to be filmed at British studios in
the 1980s, the decade began with the worst recession the British
film industry had ever seen. In 1980 only 31 British films were made,
down 50% on the previous year, and the lowest output since 1914.
 The play deals with England's class system, the
shortcomings of institutional education, and the
nature of self-development.
 The film focuses on how Rita struggles to
interact anymore with the largely uneducated
and sub-literate peers from her own background,
but similarly struggles to interact with the
educated classes. Rita's original preconceptions
of the educated classes are that they lead better
lives and are happier people. (Wiki)
 Representations of
Britishness
 The Working Class – uneducated, sub-
literate and poverty stricken.
 The Middle Class – wealthy, educated and
privileged.
 How the two do not mix in society.
 How education is a foundation.
Bridget Jones: The
Edge of Reason
 Key Facts
 Director: Beeban Kidron

 Date of release: 12th November 2004

 Budget: $70m (est.)

 UK box office: £10,400,000 (504 screens)

 US box office: $8,700,000 (530 screens)

 Cast: Renee Zellweger, Colin Firth, Hugh

Grant

 Other noticeable personnel: Helen

Fielding (screenplay and novel) Richard
Curtis (screenplay) Tim Bevan and Eric
Fellner (producers)

 Nominations: Nominated for a Golden

Globe, (best performance by an actress
in a motion picture) UK Empire Award
for best British film
 The Plot

http://www.bridgetjonestheedgeofreason.co.uk/
 The decade – key features
 The 2000‟s was a popular
decade for your average rom-
com
 With films such as The Holiday
and Something's Gotta Give
 The director Nancy Meyer‟s
was often referred to as ‘the
queen of romantic comedy’
 Figures suggest films made in
Britain and staring British stars
have dominated the UK box
office in this decade
 Mamma Mia! The Movie was
the top film in UK cinemas QuickTime™ and a
TIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor

 Bridget Jones Diary was 18th in are need ed to see this picture.

the top 20 films in the UK

cinema
http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/features/nancy-meyers-the-romcom-queen-
1862430.html
http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/film/article-23787184-british-films-are-stars-of-noughties.do
 Quotes
 So basically, when Richard Curtis calls, you seem to be ready to go to
work.
Yeah, old friends and things, and this one — that seems fine. “But I'm
not in a hurry to go and sit in big development meetings and make
great, big commercial films. I do have a touch of apathy about that.”
Hugh Grant
 Would you work with Richard Curtis again?
“I like Richard and I think Richard wants to strike out to new territory.
So if he did call again, I'd think it'd be something different,
interesting.” Colin Firth
 We didn't want it just to seem like an homage to something else. Colin
Firth
 “I was more comfortable with the idea of making this film because it’s
not a sequel in the traditional sense. There is a book that has been
written and so her journey has continued and I had nothing to do with
it.” Renee Zellweger
 “The dialect on the other hand… Boy, that I had to pay a lot of
attention to. Because Bridget has kind of a lispy thing that she does.
So there was a lot to pay attention to. But let me tell you, I had a lot of
help.” Renee Zellweger
http://movies.about.com/od/bridgetjonesedgereason/a/bridgethg103004.htmhttp://movies.about.com/od/bridgetjonesedgereason/a/brid
getcf103004.htmhttp://movies.about.com/od/bridgetjonesedgereason/a/bridgetrz110404.htm
 Critical reception
 “There's a big empty space where the heart of this
movie should be.” Film Journal International 01/03/07
 “It's testament to Zellweger's likeability and skill that
the film is still enjoyable, but it lacks the element of
surprise.” BBC 11/16/04
 “There are some true moments of revelation, but
they're neither substantial enough nor inspired enough
to touch the original.” Film Focus 11/06/04
 “Instead of laughing with Bridget, The Edge of Reason
laughs at her.” Aboutfilm.com 21/11/04
 “Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason is not as good as the
original – the Thai prison sequence makes certain of that –
but it still works.” Aisle Seat 11/20/04

http://uk.rottentomatoes.com/m/bridget_jones_the_edge_of_reason/
 Britishness - characters
 Bridget Jones – larger
woman with weaknesses
the British can associate
with QuickTime™ and a
QuickTime™ an d a

Mark „Darcy‟ – inter-textual

TIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor TIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor
 are need ed to see this p icture. are needed to see this picture.

link – English Literature

Pride and Prejudice and
Colin Firth‟s most famous
role as Mr Darcy
 Daniel Cleaver – the
„charmer‟
 Jermemy Paxman – cameo QuickTime™ and a

appearance – has a
TIFF (Uncompressed) decompre ssor
are neede d to see this picture.

stereotypical image of
upper class Britishness
Britishness - Setting
 London –
recognisable location
 Countryside – typical
English countryside
 Thailand – maybe
attract other
audiences?
 Britishness - Stereotypes
 The accent – Hugh Grant
 The larger woman
 The upper class – Mark Darcy
and lawyers
 Upper class location with
Bridget Jones finding it difficult
to fit in
 The locations – stereotypical
English countryside
 The family Christmas
gatherings – the Christmas
jumper and buffet food
 The fight between Daniel
Cleaver and Mark Darcy –
„very British‟
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=bfKXbS7f5Xw&feature=relate
d
Representation of Youth
 Not so much youth but age
 In the film a lot of emphasis is
put on Bridget Jones‟s age
and the relationship between
her age and her marital
status
 Bridget Jones is portrayed as
being very self-conscious
about being in her 30‟s and
not settled down
 Example – one scene after
she argues with Mark Darcy
she walks past a grave that
has „Bridget Jones – spinster‟
this signifies her thoughts
and worries at the time
Working Title – A signature style
 Bridget Jones Diary: The
Edge of Reason is typical
of Working Titles British
Romantic Comedies
 Hugh Grant and Richard
Curtis are involved again
to create a stereotypical
British film similar to other
films by Working Title:
debut Four Weddings
and a Funeral,
Nottinghill and Love
Actually
Comparison of the 3
films…
 Similarities and differences between Up
The Junction, Educating Rita and Bridget
Jones Diary: The Edge of Reason

 Main female protagonists

 Up the junction and Educating Rita both communicate
the gap between the working class and middle class.
 They all show class differences however, Educating Rita
and Up The Junction represent the differences between
the working class and middle class whereas Bridget
Jones represents the differences between middle class
and upper class.
 This could be in relation to the eras these films were set
in and the interests of the target audiences of each film.