Description
Book SynopsisThe story of Eastmancolor's arrival on the British filmmaking scene is one of intermittent trial and error, intense debate and speculation before gradual acceptance. This book traces the journey of its adoption in British Film and considers its lasting significance as one of the most important technical innovations in film history. Through original archival research and interviews with key figures within the industry, the authors examine the role of Eastmancolor in relation to key areas of British cinema since the 1950s; including its economic and structural histories, different studio and industrial strategies, and the wider aesthetic changes that took place with the mass adoption of colour. Their analysis of British cinema through the lens of colour produces new interpretations of key British film genres including social realism, historical and costume drama, science fiction, horror, crime, documentary and even sex films. They explore how colour communicated meaning in films ranging from the
Carry On series to Monty Python's
Life of Brian (1979), from
Lawrence of Arabia (1962) to
A Passage to India (1984), and from
Goldfinger (1964) to
1984 (1984), and in the work of key directors and cinematographers of both popular and art cinema including Nicolas Roeg, Ken Russell, Ridley Scott, Peter Greenaway and Chris Menges.
Trade ReviewRooted in detailed primary research into aesthetics, production practices, technologies and institutions,
Colour Films in Britain, provides a comprehensive and illuminating consideration of the adoption, diffusion and popularization of colour in British cinema from the mid-1950s.
-- Duncan Petrie, University of York, UK
Colour Films in Britain is a landmark study of the transition to colour that occurred in the 1960s and 1970s. No other book has yet tackled this transition with such depth, breadth and precision. The collaborative efforts of Sarah Street, Keith M. Johnston, Paul Frith and Carolyn Rickards are a model for research that I hope will soon be taken up in other national and transnational contexts. -- Joshua Yumibe, Michigan State University, USA
Table of ContentsIntroduction Section 1: What is Eastmancolor? 1. Branding and Marketing the Eastmancolor Revolution 2. Eastmancolor, the British Film Industry, and Institutions Section 2: Eastmancolor and British Genre Films 3. Comedy and Satire 4. Social realism / contemporary drama 5. The Colour of Crime 6. Fantasy, Horror and Science Fiction 7. Historical and costume films 8. Musicals, pop films, and the concert film Section 3: Eastmancolor Outside the Mainstream 9. Key colourists, 1955-85 10. Art, experimental, and avant-garde practices 11. Eastmancolor and the Amateur Film 12. Short and Documentary Films 13. The Colour of Sex? Eastmancolor and the Sex Film Section 4: Preservation and Restoration 14. Cultures and Practices of Preservation and Restoration Conclusion First Appendix: Eastmancolor Film List, 1954-85 Second Appendix: Technical Appendix
