Censored

Tom Dewe Mathews

ISBN 10: 0701138734 / ISBN 13: 9780701138738

Published by Vintage Publishing, United Kingdom, London, 1994

About this Item

Britain possesses one of the most rigorous film censorship systems in the Western world. From the turn of the century, when the British establishment scented danger in a new entertainment form, to the present day, where sex and violence are monitored with vigilence, Britain's system of film censorship has tended to reflect the moral concerns of its time, while remaining relatively unaccountable to the cinema-going public. This book explores film censorship in Britain, demonstrating, through anecdotes and examples, its absurdities, dangers and occasional virtues. From the early peepshows ("How Bridget Served the Salad Undressed"), through the films that broke the mould in more recent times (such as "The Wild One", "Clockwork Orange" and "Caligula"), up to the video and satellite anomalies of today, Mathews presents an account of a particularly British form of control. The book has been read, but is in excellent condition. Pages are intact and not marred by notes or highlighting. The spine remains undamaged.

Seller Inventory # GOR001299046

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Censored
• Publisher: Vintage Publishing, United Kingdom, London
• Publication Date: 1994
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0701138734
• ISBN 13: 9780701138738
• Binding: Paperback
• Condition: Very Good
• Weight: 862 grams

About this title

Synopsis

If one drew up a list of the best films ever made, then it turns out that nearly all of them have been heavily censored or banned. Lang's METROPOLIS, Chaplin's CITY STREETS, Eisenstein's BATTLESHIP POTEMKIN, Brando's THE WILD ONE and Kubrick's THE CLOCKWORK ORANGE, for instance, have all suffered from the effects of censorship. This pioneering book explores the absurdities (and occasional virtues) of censorship over the whole history of film in Britain, and places them in the context of their age. From the banning of anti-Nazi films (that continued up to 1939), to the sexual dilemmas of the 50s and 60s as the censors dealt with homosexuality, nudity, violence, drugs, rape and other subjects that came out of the closet, right up to the ludicrous limits still imposed on film-makers by the BBFC, this book is a brilliantly entertaining - but also hard-hitting - account of a control that is often political in its effect, and always contradictory.