Britain beats America for political realism in film

Political films made in Hollywood are almost always reluctant to criticise the establishment, whereas the opposite is usually true of their British counterparts, according to a new book. Ian Scott from The University of Manchester says political and commercial pressures ensure Hollywood films are at heart patriotic and reinforce establishment principles and values. But because the budgets for British films dwarf their Hollywood counterparts, they are rarely subject to the same commercial pressures, resulting in a gritty realism likely to question the role of authority. Successful British dramas such as State of Play and Edge of Darkness lost some of their edge when transferred to the big screen courtesy of Hollywood, he said. Ken Loach and Mike Leigh on the other hand, British filmmakers long used to taking on social and political topics, are prime examples of directors who feel it is their duty almost to challenge the system. Hollywood directors can't and often don't have the same freedom, suggests Scott. Both Edge of Darkness, starring Mel Gibson brought out in 2010 and State of Play, starring Russell Crowe in 2009, were honest enough interpretations of the BBC originals, but more hopeful and optimistic than those historic series, he argues.