National Heroes: The British Film Industry in the Seventies and Eighties

Following on from Hollywood England: The British Film Industry in the Sixties, Alexander Walker here focuses on British social change and mass entertainment. From the “hangover years” of the early Seventies to the “renaissance era” of the mid-Eighties, he reveals the multiplicity of human motives and talents underpinning the push for profit and power. Walker looks at the violent cinema of Get Carter and The Long Good Friday; the taxation that drove directors, producers, and actors out of Britain; and the venture of the “British Film Year.” In tracing the story, Walker also offers astute critical assessments of British talents, including Ken Russell, Derek Jarman, John Hurt, and Monty Python.