Anger, Authenticity, and the Working Class

Andy Nelson and special guest Professor David Forrest explore the gritty realism and social commentary of the British New Wave, a revolutionary film movement that transformed British cinema in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Through kitchen sink dramas and authentic portrayals of working-class life, these groundbreaking films captured the raw essence of post-war Britain through innovative storytelling and compelling performances.

Key Films of the British New Wave

The episode examines influential works like Room at the Top, Saturday Night and Sunday Morning, A Taste of Honey, The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner, and This Sporting Life. Members can access bonus discussions about Look Back in Anger and The Entertainer at trustory.fm/join, offering deeper insight into this transformative period in film history. Through these films, viewers witnessed the emergence of new talent including Albert Finney, Rita Tushingham, Richard Harris, Tom Courtenay, Alan Bates, and Joan Plowright, while established actors like Richard Burton and Laurence Olivier embraced the movement's naturalistic style.

Directors and Creative Vision

Pioneering directors Tony Richardson, Lindsay Anderson, and Karel Reisz shaped the movement's distinctive visual style and storytelling approach. Professor Forrest illuminates how they challenged traditional filmmaking conventions by emphasizing location shooting, regional accents, and complex working-class characters. Additionally, the movement tackled previously taboo subjects such as sexuality, race relations, and class mobility, paving the way for future social realist filmmakers like Ken Loach and Mike Leigh.

Impact and Legacy

The conversation explores the movement's connections to other cultural phenomena, including the Angry Young Men literary movement and Free Cinema documentaries. Moreover, they discuss how the British New Wave's influence extends beyond British shores, inspiring filmmakers worldwide and establishing a lasting legacy that continues to resonate in contemporary cinema.

About David

David Forrest is Professor of Film and Television Studies at the University of Sheffield. His research explores questions of class, region and realism in British film, TV and literature.  Forrest’s monographs include Barry Hines: Kes, Threads and Beyond (2018; with Sue Vice), Kes: BFI Film Classics (2024), Film Audiences: Personal Journeys with Film (with Bridgette Wessels, Peter Merrington and Matthew Hanchard; 2023), New Realisms: Contemporary British Cinema (2020), and Social Realism: Art, Nationhood and Politics. He is he co-editor of Social Class and Television Drama in Contemporary Britain, and Filmurbia: Screening the Suburbs. He sits on the editorial boards of The Journal of British Cinema and Television and Studies in European Cinema. 

🎬 Deep Dive

• 👤 Meet David Forrest: The University of Sheffield | Website | Twitter | Instagram | LinkedIn
• 📕 Buy David’s Book “Kes: BFI Film Classics”
• 🎥 Full Discussion on YouTube
• 🍿 Essential Films:
  • Room at the Top - Apple TV | Amazon | Letterboxd
  • Saturday Night and Sunday Morning - Amazon | Letterboxd
  • A Taste of Honey - Apple TV | Amazon | Letterboxd
  • The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner - Apple TV | Amazon | Letterboxd
  • This Sporting Life - Apple TV | Amazon | Letterboxd
• 📋 View Our Full List on Letterboxd
• 🎞️ More to Explore: David's Recommended Films

• (00:00 ) - Welcome to Cinema Scope • British New Wave


• (01:10 ) - Meet David Forrest


• (03:38 ) - What Is It?


• (06:36 ) - How Did We Get Here?


• (09:53 ) - Angry Young Men, Kitchen Sink, Etc.


• (14:10 ) - Free Cinema Movement


• (17:38 ) - Black and White


• (20:17 ) - Geographical


• (24:12 ) - The Films


• (24:43 ) - Room at the Top


• (34:54 ) - Saturday Night and Sunday Morning


• (43:24 ) - A Taste of Honey


• (47:06 ) - The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner


• (51:18 ) - This Sporting Life


• (57:28 ) - Evolution and Impact


• (01:03:17 ) - Wrap Up and Finding David

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