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Earlier today, I praised the Evening Standard Awards for drawing people’s attention to forms and flavors of contemporary British film beyond the dressy heritage cinema that so many associate with the country.
This morning, London’s Time Out magazine posted a fascinating feature that does much the same for the past: a wide-ranging list of the 100 Best British Films of all time, compiled from the individual Top Tens of 150 industry figures, including directors, actors and critics.
When I was invited to participate in the poll — check out my list here — I anticipated a familiar list of chestnuts to emerge from the project. But while the final Top 100 leans heavily (and necessarily) on the canon, there are some surprises in the mix, including such recent titles as “Fish Tank” and “Hunger.” That Powell and Pressburger have two titles in the top 10 won’t raise any eyebrows, but that Nicolas Roeg managed the same feat is rather less predictable.
Does the fact that Roeg’s peerless 1973 psychological thriller “Don’t Look Now” pipped more venerable title “The Third Man” to the top spot betray the influence of a younger generation of film voices? Not really, when you start sifting through the individual lists posted on the Time Out website: the films on veteran auteur Mike Leigh’s list span from 1929 to 2005, while young comic Richard Ayoade’s collective scarcely features anything from his own lifetime. The range and individuality of lists from the likes of Wes Anderson, Alfonso Cuaron, Sally Hawkins and Thandie Newton makes for most enjoyable reading.
For my part, I was delighted to see how many of my own selections made the Top 100. (Note: my list is actually in alphabetical order, despite the numbering.) When I voted for Bill Douglas’s astonishing trilogy of autobiographical shorts, restored and re-screened at last year’s Berlinale, I had no idea how many others had seen them, much less treasured them as I did — yet there they are at #27. And it’s gratifying to know that others also found room for Alfred Hitchcock’s “Sabotage” (#44) amid his more frequently celebrated early works. Alas, I seem to be out on a limb for one or two titles, but I’m sure the fanbase for Lynne Ramsay’s 2002 sophomore feature “Morvern Callar” will grow with time. (After all, her impressive debut, “Ratcatcher,” makes the cut.)
Anyway, it’s a fun project, and I’m honored to have participated in it. Check out the whole list on Time Out’s website here. My own contribution is here.
As a taster, here’s their Top 10 — with not one piece of corseted royalty porn to be found:
1. “Don’t Look Know” (Roeg, 1973)
2. “The Third Man” (Reed, 1949)
3. “Distant Voices, Still Lives” (Davies, 1988)
4. “Kes” (Loach, 1969)
5. “The Red Shoes” (Powell and Pressburger, 1948)
6. “A Matter of Life and Death” (Powell and Pressburger, 1946)
7. “Performance” (Roeg and Cammell, 1970)
8. “Kind Hearts and Coronets” (Hamer, 1949)
9. “If…” (Anderson, 1968)
10. “Trainspotting” (Boyle, 1996)
[Photo: Time Out]
42 responses so far
1 2-08-2011 at 6:59 pm
daveylow said...
Guy, Thanks so much for sharing this. I was surprised so many of my favorites are on this list. I adore Don’t Look Now but never thought it would make number 1. Topsy-Turvy is much too low on the list. Where is Naked? And not sure about The Wicker Man. I was happy to see If… so high up. I saw that as a child and it left such an impression on me, I was much too young to be watching it. Kes is another one of my favorites.
The Go-Between is not available in the US and I would love to see that again. I just read the novel for the first time.
There are a few on the list I never heard of. I wonder if all these films were released in the US.
I think I would have included Sunday Bloody Sunday somewhere.
2 2-08-2011 at 7:02 pm
Guy Lodge said...
Where is Naked, you ask? It’s at #11 — the highest-ranking Leigh on the list.
You’ll notice it’s also in my top 10. I can’t say I was expecting so many people to agree with me. I’m so pleased.
3 2-08-2011 at 7:19 pm
Mark Johnson said...
The Bridge on the River Kwai at 86 and Lawrence of Arabia at 23 are a little bit laughable to me. Should these films be 1. and 2.? The Third Man is probably my favorite, but Lean’s two masterpiece’s should be in the top 15 films ever made regardless of country of origin. That’s just my take. Love you damn Brits either way.
4 2-08-2011 at 7:23 pm
Jacob S. said...
I’m surprised “2001″ scored lower than Kubrick’s other movies (though “Barry Lyndon” is my personal favorite of his). Oh well.
5 2-08-2011 at 7:24 pm
John G said...
Ah, if only Hot Fuzz had graced this list…
Oh well, at least we have Topsy Turvy, The 39 Steps, Local Hero, Lawrence of Arabia, Great Expectations, and The Third Man. Plenty of favourites.
Also, if short films were eligible, I surely would have nominated The Wrong Trousers.
6 2-08-2011 at 7:30 pm
Guy Lodge said...
I don’t think The Bridge on the River Kwai has held up nearly as well as Lawrence of Arabia, actually.
I was a little surprised at the latter film’s placing too. That said, I toyed with including it (as well as The Third Man) on my list, but assumed so many others would speak up for them that I used the space for a slightly more personal pick. I suspect a lot of people approached their lists the same way — for me, that’s what makes the collective interesting.
7 2-08-2011 at 7:37 pm
Bryan said...
Glad to see The Wings of the Dove on your list. I’m a softy for period porn of any sort, but that film does seem to rise above most (being among a copious amount of James adaptations near the turn of the century).
8 2-08-2011 at 7:40 pm
/3rtfu11 said...
I have to remind myself “The Crying Game” wasn’t popular upon release in the UK. From this list – apparently still isn’t.
I’ve only seen two movies on the list “Secrets & Lies” and “A Clockwork Orange”. If I were making my own list all three would make it in.
9 2-08-2011 at 7:42 pm
Speaking English said...
Huh, I thought there was already a 100 Best British Films list from Time Out? Must have been a different publication.
Great to see “The Fallen Idol” so high. Very underrated.
10 2-08-2011 at 7:42 pm
Guy Lodge said...
Bryan: It basically came to a coin-toss between The Wings of the Dove and Howards End for a place on my list. I decided by picking the one I thought could use the vote — it never occurred to me that the latter film wouldn’t crack the top 100. Rather disappointed about that.
11 2-08-2011 at 7:45 pm
/3rtfu11 said...
Oh wait I’ll add one more British production to my non-essential list “The Rocky Horror Picture Show”.
12 2-08-2011 at 7:48 pm
Guy Lodge said...
/3rtfu11: You’ve only seen those two from the entire top 100? I envy you the chance to discover the likes of “The Third Man” and “2001: A Space Odyssey” for the first time. Enjoy.
Though obviously, start with my top 10. ;)
13 2-08-2011 at 7:56 pm
/3rtfu11 said...
The Wings of the Dove is an outright blind buy. I love Helena.
14 2-08-2011 at 7:58 pm
Speaking English said...
***It basically came to a coin-toss between The Wings of the Dove and Howards End for a place on my list. I decided by picking the one I thought could use the vote — it never occurred to me that the latter film wouldn’t crack the top 100. Rather disappointed about that.***
Me too. “Howards End” is one of my favorites.
15 2-08-2011 at 8:04 pm
Guy Lodge said...
Alas, I think Merchant-Ivory have entered a very unhip critical realm. They’ll be back in favour one of these days.
16 2-08-2011 at 8:08 pm
Patriotsfan said...
Lawrence of Arabia and The Third Man (some of the greatest music ever!) are in my overall top 5 favorite films, so they would be my one and two. I still need to see many of these films though.
I also agree with John G. that Hot Fuzz should be on the list, as British or not, it is one of my favorite comedies.
17 2-08-2011 at 8:14 pm
JJ1 said...
Funny, I just received ‘Howards End’ in the mail today (bought it).
Love Merchant-Ivory. LOVE. I can just sit on the couch for 2-2.5 hours and those films lull me into a wonderful haze. The acting, the mood, the visuals. I love ‘em.
18 2-08-2011 at 8:15 pm
red_wine said...
Its really surprising that not even a single Merchant Ivory production made it. I would definitely put in Remains Of The Day and put it high. And Lawrence Of Arabia is very low. Its kinda like your Citizen Kane. I always think of it as the easy pick for the greatest British film ever made.
19 2-08-2011 at 8:15 pm
Patriotsfan said...
Also, I would have had Monty Python and the Holy Grail much higher (at least higher then Life of Brian) and I wouldn’t have Lean’s Great Expectations on the list at all. I found it to be a pretty poor cinematic translation of the literary classic.
20 2-08-2011 at 8:18 pm
red_wine said...
I would also have put in more Bonds in other than Dr No. The first four with Connery are as good as these kind of movies can ever hope to be. Enjoy them all tremendously. Hell I would even put in Casino Royale which I love.
21 2-08-2011 at 9:22 pm
Frank Lee said...
I’m not sure what constitutes a “British” film here. They’ve included films financed by American studios and directed by an American director (“Brazil,” “2001″ and the other Kubrick films). Does the fact that London studios were used make it a British film? Does that mean “The X-Files” was a Canadian television series? It was filmed in Vancouver, as are many of those lame Hollywood teen comedies. Are they all Canadian movies?
22 2-08-2011 at 9:31 pm
Jeff said...
Love your #1, Guy. Douglas’ trilogy is tremendous and deserves to have a much higher profile than it currently does.
23 2-09-2011 at 2:38 am
RichardA said...
What’s awesome is that they recognize that tastes changes over time.
24 2-09-2011 at 3:32 am
Guy Lodge said...
Jeff: It’s not actually my #1. The list was submitted in alphabetical order, but Time Out added numbers somewhere along the way. It wouldn’t know how to rank the list — narrowing it down to ten was enough of a challenge.
Frank Lee: We were advised by Time Out to use our own definition as to what constitutes a British film. Obviously, people’s definitions differ. (When you say “they,” you’re implying there was some guiding authority. There wasn’t.)
Personally, I don’t think the nationality of the director should be a deciding factor — most think of Merchant-Ivory films as quintessentially British, after all, and they’re directed by an American.
25 2-09-2011 at 4:39 am
Graysmith said...
I’ve never even heard of #3, and judging by it’s mere 1,000 votes on IMDb it’s gotta be the most obscure film in the top ten.
26 2-09-2011 at 4:47 am
Derek said...
I’m delighted by the list but as with all lists the omissions aboud including my top 3 favs.
1. THE LAST OF ENGLAND by Derek Jarman
2. THE DEVILS by Ken Russell
3. O LUCKY MAN! by Lindsay Anderson
I typed the film names in all caps to get the attention of Mark Kermode and Alex Cox knowing full well that they both would of hoisted up The Devils for consideration.
27 2-09-2011 at 5:09 am
Hero said...
“Here’s their Top 10 — with not one piece of corseted royalty porn to be found.”
Actually, looking at this list, you’d think the Brits never made costume porn period. And the highest ranked film that fits the generally accepted definition of costume porn is Barry Lyndon, a lovely movie killed but a hideous lead performance. I suppose the list is good in that it’s put some movies I really ought to see on my radar, but I must confess my disappointment that the list reads like Brits trying as hard as they can to show they do more than “costumes and a story,” as my husband likes to say, regardless of the quality of said period pieces.
28 2-09-2011 at 5:40 am
Maxim said...
Fuuny how Kubrick’s Birtish productions ended up on both AFI’s list and here. In any case, does Time Out have a lot of prestige in the Britain?
29 2-09-2011 at 6:39 am
Sawyer said...
The Remains of the Day didn’t make the list?! That’s just terrible. 2 of the absolute best performances of the 90s or really any decade, and easily Merchant Ivory’s peak.
30 2-09-2011 at 6:47 am
Sawyer said...
Jeez, also no A Room With a View. They should be embarresed.
31 2-09-2011 at 6:47 am
Sawyer said...
As should I for spelling embarrased incorrectly.
32 2-09-2011 at 7:24 am
Will said...
A list like this will never make everyone happy, so the best we can hope for is that it’s interesting and original. I’d say this one passes that test. Love their #1.
33 2-09-2011 at 8:31 am
geha714 said...
Good list, but I’m surprised that Shallow Grave didn’t make the cut.
34 2-09-2011 at 8:44 am
bunbun said...
Love it. So happy that Don’t Look Now came in at #1….and high placement for Naked is another reason to be happy with this. So many favorites did well, though some could have been higher…like Dead Man’s Shoes. I’m also disappointed that Morvern Callar isn’t here, but I can see why Ratcatcher was favored.
35 2-09-2011 at 9:11 am
Guy Lodge said...
Graysmith: “Distant Voices, Still Lives” doesn’t exactly play to viewers who would bother to rank movies on IMDb, but it’s hardly “obscure.” It routinely pop up on lists such as these, and it’s a staple in film studies courses here. Brilliant film — check it out.
Maxim: Not as much prestige as something like Sight & Sound, given that it’s not a specialist film publication, but the standard of their film writing is high. Plus, their readership is huge.
Sawyer: “They” can’t really be embarrassed when the list isn’t theirs. Remember, it’s built from the individual lists of industry pros and schlubs like me.
36 2-09-2011 at 10:05 am
Patryk said...
Where is “A Taste of Honey?”
37 2-09-2011 at 10:09 am
Patryk said...
More favorites: “Room at the Top,” “A Passage to India,” “Queen of Spades,” “Victim,” ” Shallow Grave,” “The Whisperers,” “Sunday Bloody Sunday.”
38 2-09-2011 at 12:47 pm
Sawyer said...
You’re right of course Guy, but those are two, as someone put it, “quintessentially British” classics. The absence of those films, in my opinion, is as glaring as if there were no David Lean films on the list.
Another big ommission no one has mentioned is Darling.
39 2-09-2011 at 2:22 pm
Patriotsfan said...
I know this is a little off-topic, but I thought I would remind anyone interested in Oscar history that tonight at 10:00 PM EST 1932-33′s Best Picture winner “Cavalcade” will be on TCM. I think it is the only Best Picture Oscar winner not available on DVD, so tonight is a good opportunity to check it out. I am excited to see it, despite its mediocre reputation, because after I watch it tonight, I will only have 8 more Best Picture winners to see!
40 2-09-2011 at 4:56 pm
David said...
Dont Look Now. So cool to see it in the top ten… amazed that it came in at #1. Still one of my all time great film watching experiences, British or otherwise. The amount of palpable dread after the screening was a mindblow.
41 2-09-2011 at 5:21 pm
David said...
and I must add, on pure startling performance alone, the made for TV but released in the US as a film BOY A, starring the remarkably affecting young Andrew Garfield.
42 2-11-2011 at 1:37 am
katiehall said...
THE RED SHOES — YESS!
I love this movie so much I don’t know what to write!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!