Elena Ortega Durán
3ºA Primaria
English language teaching materials and resources in Primary Education
MOVIE
OR FILM?
British and American cinema
always have been in comparison even both of them have got too many things in
common and as years are passing, they are getting more equal.
Nowadays we can see many
phases and features of Anglo – American film relations. This happen, in fact,
because they work in cooperation, mixing American and British actors, companies
or scenarios. The common language facilitates them their “special
relationship”.
Trying to describe their
differences, as a first sight it is said that American movies are shiner and
colorful than British films. In spite of that, Hollywood shows a consistent
fascination with British literature and history. For this reason, there is a
kind of “Americanization” in Britain, where production companies as the Fox,
Warner or Paramount make important source production finance in domestic
British film industry. This fact makes a classification of those movies in the
States called Hollywood “British” films.
American own versions of
British films are more popular with British and American audiences than the
ones completely done by British companies. Hollywood adapts British history and
culture, being a fascinating combination of American convections and British
source material.
("The King´s speech" and "Harry Potter" are films created by American companies but filmed in UK)
British filmmaking cannot
stand up to Hollywood, neither technically or financially so, Americans use
British language and paraphernalia and this European country accept it.
Furthermore, as Hollywood is a huge empire, British companies ask for help and
American support to their projects.
What we can see here is that
at the present, in England there is an “Americanization” on British culture
that makes them more open to accept their culture on their screams done by United
States.
Even though as years are
passing, both of them look very similar, but comedies of these two countries
are quite different. This is the most highlight difference between them. In
Britain, irony is really extended around all the country to create comedies,
but most of the American audience, in general, just does not get it. Their
humor is more expose, more clearly and maybe more simple. When American people
use the irony, they will often immediately say “just kidding” as an explanation
that it is not true what they said before. But, normally they do not feel
comfortable using it, in case it causes damage. On the other side, British
people use irony a lot. The majority of British comedian films are based in
irony to make laugh.
(A "Life of Brian" scene as an example of British humor)
(A "Bad Teacher" scene as an example of American comedy)
The British and American
versions have their own cultural and emotional specificities, but both work as
painful satires on a lifestyle familiar to British and American people.
Problems that we can thing
about language (different words) and habits are not very difficult to resolve.
As in Spain we can see South American films and adapt our senses to enjoy them,
they do the same, and I think it is a great thing for the evolution: to link
countries, learn about the others and
work with different cultures for a good globalization.
