“The British cinema is made of dullness and reflects a submissive lifestyle, where enthusiasm, warmth, and zest are nipped in the bud. A film is a born loser just because it is English.“ Francois Truffaut, May 1957
In 1999 the British Film Institute invited a large amount of people working within the film and television industry to take part in finding the 100 top British films of the 20th century. The film’s listed below show how wrong Truffaut was!
- 1. The Third Man (1949)
- 2. Brief Encounter (1946)
- 3. Lawrence Of Arabia (1962)
- 4. The 39 Steps (1935)
- 5. Great Expectations (1946)
- 6. Kind Hearts And Coronets (1949)
- 7. Kes (1969)
- 8. Don’t Look Now (1973)
- 9. The Red Shoes (1948)
- 10. Trainspotting (1996)
- 11. The Bridge On The River Kwai (1957)
- 12. If… (1968)
- 13. The Ladykillers (1955)
- 14. Saturday Night And Sunday Morning (1960)
- 15. Brighton Rock (1947)
- 16. Get Carter (1971)
- 17. The Lavender Hill Mob (1951)
- 18. Henry V (1944)
- 19. Chariots Of Fire (1981)
- 20. A Matter Of Life And Death (1946)
- 21. The Long Good Friday (1980)
- 22. The Servant (1963)
- 23. Four Weddings And A Funeral (1994)
- 24. Whisky Galore! (1949)
- 25. The Full Monty (1997)
- 26. The Crying Game (1992)
- 27. Doctor Zhivago (1965)
- 28. Monty Python’s Life Of Brian (1975)
- 29. Withnail And I (1987)
- 30. Gregory’s Girl (1980)
- 31. Zulu (1964)
- 32. Room At The Top (1958)
- 33. Alfie (1966)
- 34. Gandhi (1982)
- 35. The Lady Vanishes (1938)
- 36. The Italian Job (1969)
- 37. Local Hero (1983)
- 38. The Commitments (1991)
- 39. A Fish Called Wanda (1988)
- 40. Secrets & Lies (1995)
- 41. Dr. No (1962)
- 42. The Madness Of King George (1994)
- 43. A Man For All Seasons (1966)
- 44. Black Narcissus (1947)
- 45. The Life And Death Of Colonel Blimp (1943)
- 46. Oliver Twist (1948)
- 47. I’m All Right Jack (1959)
- 48. Performance (1970)
- 49. Shakespeare In Love (1998)
- 50. My Beautiful Laundrette (1985)
- 51. Tom Jones (1963)
- 52. This Sporting Life (1967)
- 53. My Left Foot (1989)
- 54. Brazil (1985)
- 55. The English Patient (1996)
- 56. A Taste Of Honey (1961)
- 57. The Go-Between (1970)
- 58. The Man In The White Suit (1951)
- 59. The Ipcress File (1965)
- 60. Blow-Up (1966)
- 61. The Loneliness Of The Long Distance Runner (1962)
- 62. Sense And Sensibility (1995)
- 63. Passport To Pimlico (1949)
- 64. The Remains Of The Day (1993)
- 65. Sunday, Bloody Sunday (1971)
- 66. The Railway Children (1970)
- 67. Mona Lisa (1986)
- 68. The Dam Busters (1955)
- 69. Hamlet (1948)
- 70. Goldfinger (1964)
- 71. Elizabeth (1998)
- 72. Goodbye, Mr. Chips (1939)
- 73. A Room With A View (1985)
- 74. The Day Of The Jackal (1973)
- 75. The Cruel Sea (1952)
- 76. Billy Liar (1963)
- 77. Oliver! (1968)
- 78. Peeping Tom (1960)
- 79. Far From The Madding Crowd (1967)
- 80. The Draughtman’s Contract (1982)
- 81. A Clockwork Orange (1971)
- 82. Distant Voices, Still Lives (1988)
- 83. Darling (1965)
- 84. Educating Rita (1983)
- 85. Brassed Off (1996)
- 86. Genevieve (1953)
- 87. Women In Love (1969)
- 88. A Hard Day’s Night (1964)
- 89. Fires Were Started (1943)
- 90. Hope And Glory (1987)
- 91. My Name Is Joe (1998)
- 92. In Which We Serve (1942)
- 93. Caravaggio (1986)
- 94. The Belles Of St. Trinian’s (1954)
- 95. Life Is Sweet (1990)
- 96. The Wicker Man (1973)
- 97. Nil By Mouth (1997)
- 98. Small Faces (1995)
- 99. Carry On Up The Khyber (1968)
- 100. The Killing Fields (1984)
The British Film Institute (BFI) is a charitable organisation established by Royal Charter to:
‘encourage the development of the arts of film, television and the moving image throughout the United Kingdom….’