# What is the best British movie? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 12, 2003, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-british-movie/168197 "2003-04-12T03:49:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![samarm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4da419/32.png) [@samarm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samarm)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2003, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-british-movie/168197/1 "2003-04-12T03:49:04Z")
My nominations: - Withnail and I - The Long Good Friday - Monty Python and the Holy Grail - The Italian Job - Goldfinger What, in your opinions, makes a good British film, and what would you nominate? ---
**Author:** ![CyberPundit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/76d3ee/32.png) [@CyberPundit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CyberPundit)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2003, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-british-movie/168197/2 "2003-04-12T03:57:14Z")
IIRC there was poll of the 100 best British movies and the no. 1 film was the Carol Reed classic: **Third Man**. I agree 100%. In fact if I had to name my all-time top film from any country Third Man would probably be on top of the list. Of course you could argue that Third Man isn’t really a British film: it’s set in Vienna and has two Americans and an Italian among the main cast. For a quintessentially Brit film, maybe **Kind Hearts and Coronets** or one of Lean’s Dickens adaptations: **Oliver Twistb** and **Great Expectations**. ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2003, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-british-movie/168197/3 "2003-04-12T05:43:12Z")
All three of these British classics were U.S. co-productions: **The Third Man** **Lawrence of Arabia** **2001: A Space Odyssey** ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2003, 11:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-british-movie/168197/4 "2003-04-12T11:07:19Z")
The 1944 version of [Henry V](http://us.imdb.com/Title?0036910), or [Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels](http://us.imdb.com/Title?0120735) are both very, very English. ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2003, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-british-movie/168197/5 "2003-04-12T13:46:38Z")
My Top 12 (in chronological order): **The Thief of Bagdad The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp Henry V Black Narcissus The Red Shoes Kind Hearts and Coronets Lawrence of Arabia Kes The Man Who Would Be King Monty Python and the Holy Grail The Wrong Trousers Topsy-Turvy** ---
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2003, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-british-movie/168197/6 "2003-04-12T14:34:42Z")
**Billy Eliott** or **The Full Monty** ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2003, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-british-movie/168197/7 "2003-04-12T14:52:51Z")
**Passport to Pimlico The Knack (and How to Get It) Bedazzled** (original version) **A Hard Day’s Night Absolute Beginners The Ladykillers Quadrophenia To Sir With Love** ---
**Author:** ![Washte](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/dc4da7/32.png) [@Washte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Washte)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2003, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-british-movie/168197/8 "2003-04-12T15:14:38Z")
**Wallace and Gromit - any The Italian Job Goodbye Mr Chips** (if that counts) ---
**Author:** ![irishgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8edcca/32.png) [@irishgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/irishgirl)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2003, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-british-movie/168197/9 "2003-04-12T18:50:30Z")
I have a fondness for Ealing comedies starring Alec Guinness. ---
**Author:** ![StanDup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e5b9ba/32.png) [@StanDup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StanDup)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2003, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-british-movie/168197/10 "2003-04-12T18:58:30Z")
Definitely _the original_ **Bedazzled**. ---
**Author:** ![Torgo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@Torgo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Torgo)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2003, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-british-movie/168197/11 "2003-04-12T19:37:01Z")
In no particular order… **The Knack (and How to Get It) If… O Lucky Man! Hope and Glory Smiley’s People A Hard Day’s Night Monty Python’s Life of Brian** ---
**Author:** ![The\_Peyote\_Coyote](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/5f8ce5/32.png) [@The\_Peyote\_Coyote](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Peyote_Coyote)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2003, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-british-movie/168197/12 "2003-04-12T19:50:31Z")
You guys left off “It’s All Right, Jack.” ---
**Author:** ![Reuben](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/54ee81/32.png) [@Reuben](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reuben)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2003, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-british-movie/168197/13 "2003-04-12T19:57:53Z")
**A Fish Called Wanda** would top my list. The original **Great Expectations** would be up there too. ---
**Author:** ![Michael\_Ellis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/977dab/32.png) [@Michael\_Ellis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Michael_Ellis)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2003, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-british-movie/168197/14 "2003-04-12T19:59:03Z")
I second _The Ladykillers_. ---
**Author:** ![bjohn13](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac8455/32.png) [@bjohn13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bjohn13)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2003, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-british-movie/168197/15 "2003-04-12T20:07:46Z")
I loved **Snatch** … And I love British movies in general. But my all time favorite was **Billy Elliott**. ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2003, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-british-movie/168197/16 "2003-04-12T21:08:05Z")
I’ll second _Col. Blimp_. Shame it’s so little seen in the States. I’m gobsmacked that no one has mentioned _Get Carter_. Might as well throw in _Zulu_ as well. And _A Clockwork Orange_. ---
**Author:** ![StanDup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e5b9ba/32.png) [@StanDup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StanDup)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2003, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-british-movie/168197/17 "2003-04-12T21:11:57Z")
I’ll second A Fish Called Wanda. ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2003, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-british-movie/168197/18 "2003-04-12T21:35:16Z")
Not one vote for [Brief Encounter](http://us.imdb.com/Title?0037558) (1946)? Possibly the greatest tearjerker ever made. I also have a fondness for [Genevieve](http://us.imdb.com/Title?0045808) (1953) . . . ---
**Author:** ![Rodd\_Hill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/3ab097/32.png) [@Rodd\_Hill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rodd_Hill)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2003, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-british-movie/168197/19 "2003-04-13T00:14:15Z")
Good films, but all _English_, surely? How’s about a few guid Scots fillums? The Brothers (1947) Tunes of Glory (1960) The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (1969) Local Hero (1982) (Yes, I know it has Peter Riegert. But I love it anyway, if only for the priceless exchange between the two old fishermen: “Are there no two 'l’s in ‘dollar,’ Sandy?” “And are there no two 'g’s in ‘_bugger off!_’” ---
**Author:** ![Torgo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@Torgo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Torgo)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2003, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-british-movie/168197/20 "2003-04-13T00:19:19Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Rodd Hill \* > \*\*Good films, but all _English_, surely? How’s about a few guid Scots fillums? > \*\* Surely you’ll include **That Sinking Feeling** in that list. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-british-movie/168197.md?page=2)