British national cinema

Twentieth-century British cinema has produced wide-ranging notions of British culture, identity and nationhood. The book is a comprehensive introduction to the British film industry within an economic, political and social context. The book traces the development of British film industry. Exploring the relationship between British cinema and British society, the author uses the notions of 'official' and 'unofficial' cinema to demonstrate how British cinema has been both 'respectable' and 'disreputable' according to the prevailing notions of what constitutes 'good cinema'.