Blimey! I'm a foreigner!

[neadods]

These days, Ealing Studios is synonymous with Alec Guiness, and for good reason: The Man in the White Suit, Lavender Hill Mob, and Kind Hearts and Coronets are classics - not to mention The Ladykillers, which is infinitely superior to the remake, as it depended on plot and not crassness for its humor.

But there were many, many Ealing comedies, and some of the others are available for purchase or rental on DVD too. And that includes the delightful Passport to Pimlico.

By modern sensibilities, it starts very slowly. We're almost 10 minutes into a 120-minute film before the plot begins: an unexploded bomb left over from the war detonates, and the blast crater exposes gold, jewels... and an unrescinded royal decree signing the Pimlico district of London over to the Duchy of Burgundy. (Leading to the quote I've used as a title.)

What starts as a slightly drunken revolt against current restrictions - pub closing time? Ration books? Those are English laws, mate, we're in Burgundy! - abruptly turns real when Whitehall, determined to get its hands on that treasure and bring its citizens' revolt to heel, literally treats Pimlico as a foreign country. They didn't expect their war-battered citizens to furiously (and hilariously) fight back.

Wikipedia can provide the historical background to the plot; all the casual viewer needs to know about the tone is summed up in one shopkeeper's line: "We always were English and we'll always be English, and it's precisely because we are English that we're sticking up for our right to be Burgundians!"

Comments

[persiflage-1.livejournal.com]

I keep meaning to check the library for this one - I've seen it mentioned by various people in various places several times of late...

[neadods.livejournal.com]

Do check the library. You won't regret it.

[persiflage-1.livejournal.com]

I did, and they have it.

By the way, did you get my PM yesterday?

[neadods.livejournal.com]

I did. It went into the "deal with that later" queue, which is alas, now over a month long.

[persiflage-1.livejournal.com]

Eep!!

[shaggydogstail.livejournal.com]

Oh, I love love love Passport to Pimlico. Haven't watched it in years though - I think a repeat viewing may be on the cards now!

[neadods.livejournal.com]

Oh, yes!

[paratti.livejournal.com]

I love that film.

[neadods.livejournal.com]

I'd never seen it before and I'm not sure where I heard about it from, but it's lovely!

[inamac.livejournal.com]

I can never decide, when listing my top ten films, whether to include Passport to Pimlico or Kind Hearts as the Ealing contribution.

And then there's A Matter of Life and Death and Genevieve to squeeze in somewhere.

Decisions, decisions...

[neadods.livejournal.com]

I'm not at all familiar with the other two. (And my Ealing contribution would probably be Ladykillers. The original, natch.)

[inamac.livejournal.com]

A Matter of Life and Death is an SF/fantasy drama that if remade these days would probably be called a rom-com. It consistently gets voted at no. 1 on 'best film' lists, and is referenced in all sorts of UK drama (including Old Who) - deservedly so - catch it if you possibly can.

[neadods.livejournal.com]

*checks Netflix* The David Niven one?

[inamac.livejournal.com]

Yes. IMDB informs me that the US title was Stairway to Heaven - so you may know it as that.

[neadods.livejournal.com]

I've seen the remake of that, I think. Netflix has it under its original name, but it also has three other movies/documentaries with that title, so I wanted to double check. It's in the queue now.

[tempestsarekind.livejournal.com]

Sounds like something I need to add to the Netflix queue!

[neadods.livejournal.com]

Oh, you must. I know they have it, because I just sent it back to 'em!

and of course whisky galore and the maggie

[ethelking.livejournal.com]

for the same bureaucracy-be-damned tone but emanating from other inhabitants of these isles. and if you're on to powell and pressburger take a look at the life and death of colonel blimp, another and different definition of a vanished sense of englishness. (you might enjoy ealing's champagne charlie, too, an amazing feel for vanished theatres; and p-and-p's canterbury tales). it was a huge realisation that a passion for doctor who was a desire for a continuation of the ealing/p-and-p sensibility -- even though i had to work backwards from telly to these films, which predate me.

Re: and of course whisky galore and the maggie

[neadods.livejournal.com]

I've added Whiskey Galore to the Netflix queue. Oddly, I couldn't find it on a name search; I had to search on one of the actors.

[fyrdrakken]

Added to my Netflix queue now...