Riassunto esame cultura inglese - Storia della cultura inglese

Arte e Cultura

ASTROLOGIA, MEDICINA ALTERNATIVA, SALUTE

FICTION GAY E LESBICA

SOCIETÀ MULTICULTURALE: nuove realtà portate dagli IMMIGRATI, nuovi impulsi nella letteratura inglese

VISIONE DELL'ESTERNO DEL MONDO: Il Buddha della periferia di Kureishi parla della sua esperienza di infanzia, bloccato tra la vita in campagna e il desiderio di una vita in città.

Con la perdita di fiducia nelle ISTITUZIONI, anche la morale e le attitudini sono state messe in discussione.

I ROMANZI hanno iniziato a essere visti come DIVERTIMENTO perché il pubblico voleva storie a cui potersi identificare, un senso di SPAZIO e di sentirsi FUORI POSTO.

POESIA PERFORMATIVA: poesia scritta per essere recitata ad alta voce, riguardante sesso, droga e fama, rivolta a un pubblico non letterario, poeti punk. Oggi SLAM è una diffusa miscela di rap e poesia.

Teatro: Londra ha circa 100 teatri.

Theatre Royal West End (intrattenimento leggero, musical e commedie)

Donmar Warehouse: temi più individuali

"Fringe" teatri: piccoli palcoscenici semplici

Experimental plays and controversial themes

There are also drama schools like the Royal Academy for Dramatic Arts. Drama is also a spare-time activity.

Theatre in Britain originated in the 10th century when priests used drama as a tool for religious education. In 1576, the first permanent theatre, The Globe, was established in Shoreditch. William Shakespeare's plays are the most performed.

Social realism emerged in the mid-1950s when young people felt dissatisfaction with the government. There was a desire for honesty and a fresh start, leading to a new wave of activity known as the Angry Young Men. These plays featured characters who spoke directly and honestly, being critical of government, church, and business leaders. John Osborn's Look Back in Anger is an example of this movement.

Censorship was in place until 1968, with laws controlling the content of dramatic works to prevent obscenity and blasphemous plays. Theatres without a license could only offer musical shows, melodramas, and plays of crime, violence, and sex combined with music. In 1843, the Theatre Regulating Act allowed small theatres to operate.

to offer a variety of plays

1. 1959 OBSCENE PUBLICATION ACT more permissive attitude
2. 1960s and 1970s POLITICAL SATIRE sketches on English manners, eccentricity and government.
3. 1960s drama became more PROVOCATIVE
4. 1970s years of conflict between the UNIONS, GOVERNMENT, IRA and SPG urban terrorism, racist violence, violent behavior as a CONSEQUENCE of a CORRUPT society elders stopped going to the theatre, youngers found these plays ATTRACTIVE.
5. ART LABS where were held plays about controversial issues like homosexuality, abortion, women rights. Theatre was becoming too experimental DECLINE, theatres were closing.
6. MUSICALS nudity and androgyny sexuality appeal to young. Highly popular in 1990s, combination of stories, absence of political themes and difficult dialogues criticized for being blasphemous and pornographic not taken seriously.
7. COMEDIES themes of provincial slang combined with advertising language; pretension of LOWER-MIDDLE

class; sexual repression; social convention and manners

ALTERNATIVE COMEDIES for young people was a powerful weapon to criticize the HYPOCRISY of THATCHERITE society. Themes of: spirit of punk; satirized stereotypical attitudes towards society; racial and sexual matters

PANTOMIME children entertainment colorful stories with music and dance provoked children and parents to shout and cheer audience participation.

Cinema

War films, Bond films and Horrors were the most popular genre, adaptation of classic novels the most loved. Film maker became HISTORIANS and influenced public opinion. In Britain Film-making is centralized in south-east of England but the commercial heart is SOHO. The most famous cinema chains are Warner, Virgin and Odeon. There are also cinema schools like The National Film and Television School and British Film Institute. Public cinemas are licensed by local authorities, to prevent the showing of unsuitable pictures.

End of 19 century films were shown in shops,

theatres, schools and open air. Mid-1920s there was a new generation of FILM-MAKERS (Hitchcock and Saville) films with sound; cinema audience grew and small industry expand to satisfy demands. 2nd WW interrupted progress only a few continued to make PROPAGANDA films to encourage patriotic feelings DOCUMENTARY FILM aimed to represent Britain at war and give moral justification to combat. Post-war period cinema became the main source of ENTERTAINMENT EALING STUDIOS films about ordinary communities, drama and comedies of everyday life; comedy films nostalgic portraits of post-war Britain challenged conventional society and ridiculous pomposity. DOCUMENTARY FILMS John Grierson authentic records of everyday life, he thought that film makers have the duty to reveal and describe society in order to understand and improve it. His works examined unemployment, pollution, education, health and housing. SOCIAL REALISM between 1959 and 1963 fresh, raw portrayals of theBritish working-class (language, living conditions and aspirations). Several novels were adapted for the cinema focus on ordinary working people spirited OPTIMISM reflecting the freedom, consumerism andpermissiveness of that time. The realist style was also used to reflect social problems like crimeand out of control younger generation. Film were in black and white and included pauses of jazzand pop music.Young audience liked comedy, horror, sex and violence reflecting a liberal society. Rock n’ roll musicwas introduced in films Elvis Presley and Beatles who helped to make pop music entertainment forall the family and not only young people.Role of women set in a liberal London; their roles emphasized freedom, fun, innocence and sexappeal. Post-war years people found excitement in film novel and thrilling.Mix of spying and cold war tension James Bond films Carry on Films caricature of routine HORROR FILMS attracted young people (Dracula,

Frankenstein set in dark night in gothic castles; struggle between good and evil; scientific discovery over which men had lost control.

1970s Historical dramas. Advances in technology new effects in movie making. SCI-FI FILMS (Star Wars) attracted young people. Themes: exploration; militarism; threat of invasion and Cold War.

Pop Genre the Who; the Rolling Stones and David Bowie music appeared in films. David Bowie in "The Man who Fell to Earth" (alien who travels to Earth looking for a way to save his dying planet).

ALTERNATIVE VOICES gender and race issues; reality of being young and black in London in 1970s; rape, violence and pornography; feminist issues.

1980s changes in film industry (Thatcherism). Introduction of video, cable and satellite more choice. New technology with modest budget. Advertising. The BBC and Channel 4 sponsor of low budget films.

HERITAGE AND HARMONY film with a nostalgic, rose-tinted view of the past.

Unconventional, rebellious characters became nationalistic and proud. Critics think this films are false. PROPAGANDA AND CARICATURE tragicomic allegory of Britain under Thatcherism. Problems: deregulation, expansion and competition in professions; Cold War, nuclear weapons, role of the media and dubious activity of authority forces; food and drink used to make social comments in film; women issues into mainstream cinema but in a more populist way. ETHNICITY AND IDENTITY Kureishi brought attention to diverse nature of British society. Critique of the Tory Government. Optimistic message about people's ability to triumph over adversity. NOW films are still INFLUENCED by literature creative, fresh, imaginative, simplified versions of classical stories. NEW REALISM realistic portraits and natural performances; tensions between families of different social status. BILLY ELLIOTT (Stephen Daldry, 2000) TRAINSPOTTING drugs, AIDS and poverty from the point of view of the drug

addict set in the poverty of Edimburgh. Situation of Afro-Caribbeans showing them not as marginal groups but as having similar problems to many others (Bend it like Bekham!)

FANTASY AND ESCAPISM: ROMANTIC COMEDIES most successful Bridget Jones's Diary british women identified with Bridget image of a lonely, self-doubting, young girl that seek romantic fulfillment through marriage with a wealthy men.

HARRY POTTER most profitable story about a young boy destined to be a wizard who fights evil with his friends in Hogwarts

LORD of THE RING story of elves, dwarves, hobbits and wizards locked in a struggle to save Middle Earth.

Television and Radio

In Britain Television and radio are provided by the BBC and the DTT (Digital terrestrial Tv).

BBC based in London, controlled by a director general decided by the prime minister. Political influence is not permitted.

• BBC1: programmes with broad appeal;
• BBC2: leisure, lifestyle and documentaries.

Also Open University Broadcast (for homestudy);- BBC3 : comedy, science, music, art and education;- BBC4 : history, culture, business, arts and current affairs.- RADIO 1: current pop music, concerts and news;- RADIO 2: wider range of music and specialist programs;- RADIO 3: classical music and jazz;- RADIO 4: current affairs, art programs, religion and cricket;- RADIO 5: news and sports for younger listeners.- REGIONAL BBC STATIONS: RADIO CYMRU (WELSH), RADIO NAN GAIDHEAL (GAELIC)BBC doesn't have advertisement. The first TV picture was transmitted November 1936. Life in the BBC was FORMAL; when on camera announcers wore traditional evening dresses and spoke with RP accent.BBC during war had the responsibility to inform and entertain. During post-war consensus to transmit patrician values.INDIPENDENT TELEVISION commercial satellite television. Rely on income generated by advertising. Broadcasting contents are controlled by OfCom.- ITV : is independent, broadcasts popular

Programs to 14 regions:

• CHANNEL 4: provides a diverse range of programs for a multicultural society, it does not make its own programs but commissions them from independent companies.
• FIVE: commercial station that makes shows. Popular programs to a wide audience (Britain, USA, Australia, New Zealand).

Independent Radio began in 1973:

• Classic FM: classical music.

REALISM IN TV opened new portrayals of ignored groups like blacks, women, and the poor. Sex, alcohol, and drugs were also depicted more realistically.