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at War

at War. Ealing at War :. F ilm = a tool for promoting a unified image of the UK (cinemas closed temporarily) Government took control of filmmaking through a newly created Ministry of Information

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at War

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  1. at War

  2. Ealing at War: • Film = a tool for promoting a unified image of the UK (cinemas closed temporarily) • Government took control of filmmaking through a newly created Ministry of Information • Balcon was determined that film should serve the nation’s wartime needs – his plan was ignored • Balcon set about turning Ealing’s focus on current wartime issues (spying, and the role of the Merchant Navy) and on morale boosters (often comedies, sowing the seed for later post-war directions)

  3. Ealing at War: • National identity was an essential ingredient • Several underpinning principles defining this identity were described by the first Minister for Information, Lord Macmillan as: • independent spirit • caring for the underdog • resilience or ‘backbone’

  4. Ealing at War: • Balcon (along with other filmmakers) began to construct a clear national identity that identified British strengths, linking them not only in opposition to the current enemy, but also to the ‘regular’ activities and occupations of a former time

  5. The Goose Steps Out(1942, D: Basil Dearden/Will Hay) • An inept schoolmaster William Potts, is parachuted into Nazi Germany when British intelligence discover that he is the spitting image of an enemy master spy. • Upon his arrival, Potts is put to work teaching young German spies how to appear authentically British - and is soon employing his own highly unorthodox educational methods…

  6. The Goose Steps Out(1942, D: Basil Dearden/Will Hay) • It offers a clear sense of the working man’s role in defeating the Nazis. It highlights the contemporary position of Britain’s fight against the Nazis and each adds to the image of ‘plucky little Britain’ uniting in the face of a common enemy • Clip

  7. Wartime Ealing Task: • In pairs you are going to research a wartime Ealing film, then present your findings to the rest of the class • You need to think about: • What messages and values does the film offer? • How are these depicted on screen? • What character types are employed and in what roles? • Is there more than one audience for these films?

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