Why do the UK movies look so different?

CyberGhost

Hey,

I want to talk a little about the "UK" style of cinematography,

I have been watching, Children of Men, 28 Days later, and other english movies lately and they all seem to have the same distinctive style, they look the same somehow, and they look very different to American made movies, but I can't quite pin point what it is.

So far, I've noticed that for the most part, English movies start out really great and promising but usually finish with a "weak"ending.

Also the camera quality seems to be more "clear" or something, and soundtrack usually isn't playing during an action sequence whereas in American movies there is almost always a soundtrack playing when something is happening.

Also American movies seem to use more special effects and more camera work is somehow different.

Anybody else noticed the same things?

Nolanger

It's because the British film industry is more tied to television and theatre than the USA film industry is.

Hence the style of quieter music on the soundtrack, the "clear" look of British movies is due in many cases from using video cameras instead of the grainier cinefilm, the weaker endings are because there's more emphasis on the scripts telling the story in British cinema than in America where the directors are more usually imaginative and prepared to take risks. There's more of a "directed by committee" attitude in British cinema whereas in America the maverick-style director is better accepted.

Jack B. Badd

CyberGhost wrote: »

So far, I've noticed that for the most part, English movies start out really great and promising but usually finish with a "weak"ending.

What do you mean by weak endings?

Nevyn

The two that you have mentions were exclusively filmed digitally rather then with film which makes a huge difference two what you see on screen.

CyberGhost

Jack B. Badd wrote: »

What do you mean by weak endings?

It's just the movies feel like the story goes on, but your part of watching it is over, while with American movies, the story ends with you, you see the ending.

faceman

Thaedydal wrote: »

The two that you have mentions were exclusively filmed digitally rather then with film which makes a huge difference two what you see on screen.

True but so were the 3 prequels of the star wars trilogy and Cloverfield. Although I think you know what you are getting at. Children of Men and 28 days are very grainy, almost like the film is saturated. Those effects are added in post.

With the 2 films the OP mentioned they are representative of a very bleak future thus the cinematography has a part to play in that. Not all British made films are in the same vain. The style of cinematography is representative of a nation's films, its more of the cinematographer and director.

I dont know, maybe im waffling now!

I also dont get your point OP about weak endings.

faceman

CyberGhost wrote: »

It's just the movies feel like the story goes on, but your part of watching it is over, while with American movies, the story ends with you, you see the ending.

You've lost me, can you give some examples?

Jack B. Badd

CyberGhost wrote: »

It's just the movies feel like the story goes on, but your part of watching it is over, while with American movies, the story ends with you, you see the ending.

So it's like real life?

CyberGhost

faceman wrote: »

You've lost me, can you give some examples?

Take Children of Men, we are looking at it from Theo's point of view, but he dies off and we never know, was the humanity saved? what happened next? We watched it from point A to point B, not the beginning and the end, and in the end there is no big showdown.

The same is with 28 series.

It is more realistic though, yes.


No Country for Old Men is kind of the same, but not exactly, we see Anton walk away at the end, but the main story is completed.

Jack B. Badd

I don't think that the endings of British Films are necessarily weak but they are generally comparitively weaker than American endings when you take the film as a whole into account. American endings tend to be all flash, bang and tying up of loose ends and, when compared to the first two acts, will be a hell of a lot stronger. But this doesn't necessarily mean that the ending is strong in its own right, just that it's stronger than the rest of the film (which may be and often is crap in the case of Hollywood's offerings). British films tend to be stronger as a whole but the acts will be more balanced so that while the ending doesn't necessarily tie up everything or give you closure the whole film is, for want of a better word, better.

Latchy

The two different cultures are portrayed in the films they make . British ones tend to reflect more serious social problems with out glossing them over with OTT effects .Pinewood studio was famous for all the frankenstien / dracula films but never had the same clout or money as hollywood .But british actors and directors have always done well in hollywood and a lot of that shows in british films such as Get carter with michael caine which has being re done in hollywood with Sylvester Stallone in the title role .

ztoical

Every regions films have a different style and feel to them [same with books, comics, art, music etc] Asian movies have a different look and feel to Hollywood movies, Bollywood movies, french cinema, eastern european cinema etc etc it all has a different quality - if they were all the same it would be so boring. You've also got indie films that could have money coming from several places and it can sometimes be unclear where it comes from. Then theres the on going argument of what is a "british film" vs an "american one" Does your example of Children of men count as "British cinema" as Children of men was developed and produced by Marc Abraham and Strike entertainment which is an american production company and both the director and cinematographer are Mexican.

Alot of the big difference has to do with culture just compare British television to american television. American mainstream cinema is also dumbed down alot when it comes to story - heaven forbid the audience be left to figure something out for themselves. You also have to have the happy ever after ending or studio heads start freaking out - name an american movie with a bleak ending, its either a director/star/producer with enough pull to make it happen or its an indie made film thats been bought by a bigger studio.

Jack B. Badd

ztoical wrote: »

You also have to have the happy ever after ending or studio heads start freaking out - name an american movie with a bleak ending, its either a director/star/producer with enough pull to make it happen or its an indie made film thats been bought by a bigger studio.

I read somewhere recently that while Hollywood doesn't always want their films to have a happy ending they do want them to end on a reassuring note. It pretty much hit the nail on the head as far as I'm concerned.

shenanigans1982

ztoical wrote: »

Every regions films have a different style and feel to them [same with books, comics, art, music etc] Asian movies have a different look and feel to Hollywood movies, Bollywood movies, french cinema, eastern european cinema etc etc it all has a different quality

You forgot Austrailian films/ tv....they just look sh*t.

RAIN

CyberGhost wrote: »

Take Children of Men, we are looking at it from Theo's point of view, but he dies off and we never know, was the humanity saved? what happened next? We watched it from point A to point B, not the beginning and the end, and in the end there is no big showdown.

The same is with 28 series.

It is more realistic though, yes.


No Country for Old Men is kind of the same, but not exactly, we see Anton walk away at the end, but the main story is completed.

Mite be worth spoiler tagging that post.....you potentialy ruin 2 great movies for someone who hasent seen them.

faceman

CyberGhost wrote: »

Take Children of Men,

we are looking at it from Theo's point of view, but he dies off and we never know, was the humanity saved? what happened next?

We watched it from point A to point B, not the beginning and the end, and in the end there is no big showdown.

The same is with 28 series.

It is more realistic though, yes.


No Country for Old Men is kind of the same, but not exactly, we see Anton walk away at the end, but the main story is completed.

Do you feel that all movies should explain everything? If so why do you feel that?

WRT to the Children of Men, the story was about the lead characters, not about the rest of humanity. Therefore IMO what happened to everyone else is for the most part irrelevent.

I dont agree with you over 28 days, it did have the helicopter shot at the end with the voiceover/news reader explaining how

the infected were just dying off due to hunger or something

I dont agree with the point that UK films dont explain everything yet US films too. I could list plenty of recent US films that focus on the character ending as opposed to the explain it all away ending.

Latchy

shenanigans1982 wrote: »

You forgot Austrailian films/ tv....they just look sh*t.

And every Aussie sounds just like the every other Aussie ,even the Sheila’s

Although some good Aus/Brit produced films spring to mind like walkabout and the Dunera boys

So what do irish films look like?

Latchy

Very irish

faceman

Deleted User wrote: »

So what do irish films look like?

Don Bluth's studio... Non existant!!

Latchy

And some non irish people may be forgiven for thinking angelas astray is a true reflection of modern day ireland

Cianos

A somewhat simplistic point, but valid nonetheless, I think we tend to take American accents less seriously than British accents.

Duggy747

You couldn't imagine lavish, over-the-top action-paced stories set in Ireland, could you? Would be quite odd if Batman was set in Dublin (considering 99.99% of films are), a leather-clad vigilante cleaning up the streets of Finglas but has to come to terms with himself and his ethics when a criminal, Anto The Joker, shows up. Cue lots of fast-paced car chase sequences involving Golf GTI's speeding around the roundabouts.

The tones of movies between America & Europe are very different. While Hollywood can go to fantastical levels they ruin them with mushy, cheesy sentimental shìte and completey over-the-top Hollywood gloss. English & Irish movies always keep with the "gri'-e-ness" or a serious tone, whatever the premise except our film industry just keeps with social problems in Dublin.

I'd love to make an Irish action-movie, just to say we at least did one (And don't have it set in Dublin, showcase the entire country for Christ's sake). Ah but still, our industry is still young, with the straps on funding being loosened a tiny bit.

Climate Expert

I think a lot of the 'look' is down to the weather.

Both countries have their own look because of this in film, tv and real life.

faceman

Duggy747 wrote: »

You couldn't imagine lavish, over-the-top action-paced stories set in Ireland, could you? Would be quite odd if Batman was set in Dublin (considering 99.99% of films are), a leather-clad vigilante cleaning up the streets of Finglas but has to come to terms with himself and his ethics when a criminal, Anto The Joker, shows up. Cue lots of fast-paced car chase sequences involving Golf GTI's speeding around the roundabouts.

*cough* "The Medallion" starring Jackie Chan *cough*

Nolanger

Deleted User wrote: »

So what do irish films look like?

Usually like bloated television drama.

Jack B. Badd

Duggy747 wrote: »

You couldn't imagine lavish, over-the-top action-paced stories set in Ireland, could you? Would be quite odd if Batman was set in Dublin (considering 99.99% of films are), a leather-clad vigilante cleaning up the streets of Finglas but has to come to terms with himself and his ethics when a criminal, Anto The Joker, shows up. Cue lots of fast-paced car chase sequences involving Golf GTI's speeding around the roundabouts.

When is this out in the cinemas?

shenanigans1982

The Climax involves the Batman being stopped by a member of the Garda at a checkpoint and being asked the inevitable question.

"Is this your ve-hicle?"

"It's the Goddamn batmobile, I'm the goddamn Batmaaaaaaaaaaan. Of course it's my goddamn vehicle you retard."

Duggy747

faceman wrote: »

*cough* "The Medallion" starring Jackie Chan *cough*

*slaps forehead* Ah, can't believe I forgot about that tripe...........then again, yes I can!