ABSTRACT
It is not necessarily the dates that define this topic area, but rather the dramatic changes in filmmaking (both stylistically and in terms of subject) that occurred across this period. Roughly bounded by the transition from the films of the British New Wave (approximately 1963) and a decade later (1973) where the British film industry is seen as freefalling into decline, this topic area deals with the ‘new’ filmmaking that reflected the ‘swinging’ Britain of the 1960s. As such it offers opportunity not only to study the focus films and others from the period, but the lively and relevant social and historical background against which (and from which) these films were produced. Broader issues
This chapter will look at
■ the content and contexts of the focus films; ■ why this period was such a pivotal moment for the British film industry; ■ the context of messages and values underpinning a study of this period.
