05 February 2013

The best British movies of all time

To help publicize the upcoming BAFTA awards, British film critic presented his choice of the top 49 British films of all time (listed here alphabetically):
Barry Lyndon (1975)
Black Narcissus (1947)
The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)
Brief Encounter (1945)
Chariots of Fire (1981)
A Clockwork Orange (1971)
The Cruel Sea (1952)
The Dam Busters (1954)
Dr No (1958)
Don’t Look Now (1973)
Dracula (1958)
Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994)
The Full Monty (1997)
Gandhi (1982)
Get Carter (1971)
Gladiator (2000)
Great Expectations (1946)
Gregory’s Girl (1980)
Henry V (1944)
I Know Where I’m Going! (1945)
If… (1968)
The Ipcress File (1965)
Kes (1969)
Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949)
The King’s Speech (2010)
The Lady Vanishes (1938)
The Ladykillers (1955)
Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp (1943)
Local Hero (1983)
The Long Good Friday (1979)
A Matter of Life and Death (1946)
Monty Python’s Life of Brian (1979)
Naked (1993)
The Railway Children (1970)
The Red Shoes (1948)
The Remains of the Day (1993)
Saturday Night and Sunday Morning (1960)
Secrets & Lies (1995)
Sense and Sensibility (1995)
The Servant (1963)
Shakespeare in Love (1998)
Skyfall (2012)
The Third Man (1949)
The 39 Steps (1935)
This Sporting Life (1963)
Trainspotting (1995)
Whisky Galore! (1949)
Zulu (1963)

Norman, who has been writing and broadcasting about films for five decades, said: “Ignoring for the moment the fact that you will certainly disagree with some, probably many, or maybe even all of my choices, which do you think is the one outstanding British film that I’ve left out? There are plenty to choose from because mine, like all such lists, is largely subjective.”
I would have included Brazil and The English Patient.

7 comments:

  1. +1 on Brazil, one of my faves ever.

    Surprised not to see:

    Withnail & I
    Alfie
    Blowup
    Naked

    And I just like:
    Children of Men

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  2. Not sure how you can have such a list that includes Four Weddings but not Withnail & I

    Also missing the film Billy Liar (which you can watch on youtube)

    The Horses Mouth

    wheres The Italien Job???]

    The Great Escape

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  3. I was also surprised not to see Withnail and I, fantastic film.

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  4. V for Vendetta (if that counts as british)

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  5. +1 for "Withnail & I" and perhaps "Educating Rita". A corker.

    I would have argued for "The Great Escape" too but it's classed as an American film.

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  6. "Bedazzled" the original 1967 version with Peter Cook and Dudley Moore

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