The film industry in Britain has always lived in the shadow of Hollywood but the “the social film” brought a golden age of British film. Although Graham Greene argues that it was an “Anglo-American ” market, the style of film differed from Hollywood in realism of social problems. In fact, the romanticised attitude of the American film did not lend itself to the British working-class communities, although it tried to portray them .
Peter Stead writes, that British films refused to acknowledge the social problems of the working-class with a lack of real protest in the 30s. Although, it has been described as the middle-class stereotype of the working class from the wise-cracking cockney to the Bumpkin of the North , portraying a less educated working-class. Benyon describes an evolution between 1939 and 1970 from a Working-class hero, to an alienated working-class and finally the destruction of labour . Although, it can be argued that one group of the working-class has always had a hero: miners.
Many, films during this period concentrate on the malady of mining communities and although the most important aspect of the mining community, trade unionism, is either skirted over or demonised, there is always a feeling of hard-working, positive community spirit. “The stars look down ”, “The Proud Valley ”, and “Blue Scar ” are the epitome of the portrayal of a working-class hero.
Beginning with “The stars look down” described by Stead as a “grimly honest film about a truth that cannot be hid ”. The representation of the working-class is them going against the management and the unions, for the sake of safety. The management and union leaders are portrayed similarly as well dressed/spoken people who are set back from the working class. Whereas the workers are portrayed as simple but experienced people who know best about the way they work.
There is graphic imagery of poverty during the strike, showing the lengths that the working-class had to go to, to survive. A scene in which a butcher was robbed also depicts victimisation of the strike leaders, as the “father” who called the strike was arrested after having tried to stop the robbery. This scene also showed the middle-class perception that some of the working-class were criminal in that one robbed the till, hid and then walked out with no remorse.
The union leaders are represented as easily corruptible by the management appearing to have to little care or support for their workers, ignoring the warning of danger and appearing weak. This mirrors the feeling of the miners in the aftermath of the strike of 1926 regarding the Trade Union Congress . The representation of work and the portrayal of the accident was harrowing, and along with the hopelessness of the relief effort sympathy is built for the hard-working men, and tries to depict the suffering and danger of the job accurately. Whereas, the films more contemporary counterparts have more hope for the future.
For example, “The Proud Valley” portrays a community in Wales that depends entirely on mining as a source of work. The main character is a stranger who is accepted by the community when he shows solidarity by singing and defending this community. It is a nostalgic world seen through the rose-tint of cinema, but does elude to the problems of poverty and overcrowding through the need for a lodger in the foreman’s house, the fact that there are 6 people in one small home and when the working son wishes to marry and the mother worries how they will manage. But it portrays the unbreaking spirit of the hard-working people.
The representation of inherent racism in society is mentioned but infers that class overcomes race “Aren’t we all black down the pit. ” Throughout this representation the Choral singing is important to the culture and this has been suggested to represent the solidarity of the miners. In this representation, there is no mention of trade unions and the mine is only closed due to an accident not strike action. This makes the hardship that follows the mine closure more poignant, unlike the later films and this representation shows the “working-class hero” trying everything to get the men back to work.
Initially, the film was supposed to have a more socialist ending, as many of those involved including Paul Robeson had socialist leanings, but it was changed to management giving concessions which Sweet infers as a forced change due the new atmosphere following the war, the need to sell solidarity over rebellion, saying had “if produced before the war it would have been the most uncompromisingly Marxist picture ever produced ”. Although, Fennell argued that the war-time and post-war Britain’s wanted realism and that is why “The stars look down” was more popular.
“The Proud Valley”, in comparison to the American alternative “How green was my valley”, shows a more accurate representation of the work and suffering. The “American Dream” idealism is apparent throughout, but the strike weapon and the unions are portrayed in a negative light. Although the thoughts surrounding those who disagree with the strike was shown, unlike other films. The only one who disagreed was an “old sweat” who just wanted to work and he was initially chastised for it.
As the period goes on the depiction of mining communities begins to show the alienation as described by Benyon through “Blue Scar ”, showing a miner out of place in the depths of white collar London. The working-class miner who wishes to educate himself is shown a level of suspicion because he wants to be in management. Also, the portrayal of the miner as hard-working salt of the earth is being undermined, as the miners are now aiming for more money and a shorter working week, which infers a loss of work ethic. This is also apparent in the management view of industrial fatigue and silicosis; the management say these conditions never existed before inferring that the miners give excuses, but the only miner the doctor tells he cannot work states that he doesn’t want to go “in front of the board”, but the doctors help is a step forward. The film ends listing some of the advances to nationalisation and the union movement, but again the unions, although mentioned, are not at the forefront.
In the 1950s, Benyon describes the destruction of labour and I believe that the films in this period reflect this as well. After the use of the strike in heavy industry, the middle-class perception became more resentful and working-class were represented by the money-grabbing manipulator Joe Lampton in “Room at the top ”, and particularly obstinate Fred Kite in “I’m Alright Jack ”.
“I’m Alright Jack” shows a factory where the men are abusing the management and being backed by the union. The middle/upper class man sent to work with working-class shows the elitist attitude as he assumes he will go straight into management and his aunty sneers at the workforce. It portrays the union as protecting redundant workers and using humour to portray a shirking attitude in the working-class factories.
Kite represents a shop-steward causing trouble with the management, who didn’t seem to know what he wanted and took people out of work for trivial problems. The trade unionist appeared as a communist sympathiser and although he worked for the common man, he worked for; redundant men on payroll, minimal work and general confrontation with management. This attitude, persisted to the 70s with films like “Carry on at your convenience”, although this was more of a farcical performance it led to alienating the working-class . Although, “I’m Alright Jack” portrayed a work-shy work-force whereas “Carry on at your convenience” shows the workforce becoming tired with the shop-steward bringing back work ethic.
In conclusion, Benyon’s description of the representation of the working class can be argued as correct, but the perception of the coal miner still shows a working-class hero. In society, as the mines closed and the line between working and middle-class blurred, the representation of the working-class became more resentful. Stead’s perception of a middle-class representation is arguable because, as Winston suggests, it is “right-wing money, left-wing kudos and films of dubious social worth in the middle.” The only similarity in their representations of the working class is the tantalizing dreams of escape. In each film, there is at least one person wanting to better themselves, but, as in more contemporary films, it is only a dream. Films which included humour seemed to enjoy fighting the establishment, including the trade unions, but as Stead argues, the straight forward political issues were less important than the cinematic ones.
Comments
Post a Comment