Title John Mills and British cinema : masculinity, identity and nation / Gill Plain

Published Edinburgh : Edinburgh University Press, ©[2006] ©2006

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Description 1 online resource (x, 254 pages) : illustrations Contents A British Cagney? : cinema and self-definition in the 1930s -- Mills at war, 1940-45 : the nation incarnate? -- A cautionary note : great expeditions and the postwar world -- Dead men, angry men and drunks : post-traumatic stress and the 1950s -- The spectre of impotence : fathers, lovers and defeated authority -- Playing fool : comedy and the end of everyman Summary Although his film career extended from the early days of sound to the British New Wave and beyond, Sir John Mills is nonetheless remembered as the archetypal hero of the Second World War. Regarded as an English 'everyman', his performances crossed the class divide and, in his easy transition from below decks to above, he came to represent a newly democratic masculine ideal. But what was this exemplary masculinity and what became of it in the aftermath of war? John Mills and British Cinema asks how was it possible for an actor to embody national identity and, by exploring the cultural contexts in which Mills and the nation became synonymous, the book offers a new perspective on 40 years of cinema and social change. Through detailed analysis of a wide range of classic British films, John Mills and British Cinema exposes the shifting constructions of 'national' masculinity, arguing that the screen persona of the actor is a fundamental, and often overlooked, dimension of British cinema. Key Features: Provides the first critical examination of the film career of Sir John Mills. Uses contemporary feminist and gender theories to examine the body of the actor as a crucial dimension of the film text. Explores the concept of a 'national cinema' from an innovative new perspective. Provides stimulating new readings of key British films, including Forever England, The Way to the Stars, Great Expectations, Scott of the Antarctic, Hobson's Choice, Ice Cold in Alex, Tunes of Glory, The Family Way and Ryan's Daughter Bibliography Includes bibliographical references (pages 241-248) and index Includes filmography Notes English Print version record Subject Mills, John, 1908-2005. SUBJECT Mills, John, 1908-2005 fast Subject Motion picture actors and actresses -- Great Britain Motion pictures -- Great Britain -- History and criticism Nationalism in motion pictures. World War, 1939-1945 -- Motion pictures and the war. Masculinity in motion pictures. PERFORMING ARTS -- Acting & Auditioning. PERFORMING ARTS -- General. Masculinity in motion pictures Motion picture actors and actresses Motion pictures Nationalism in motion pictures War and motion pictures Great Britain Genre/Form Electronic books Criticism, interpretation, etc. Form Electronic book ISBN 0748626611 9780748626618 0748621075 0748621083 9780748621071 9780748621088 1280501480 9781280501487 0748651098 9780748651092 9786610501489 6610501483

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