The British New Wave was the name given to the films released "between 1959 and 63" (Taylor, 2000, p.1) and were also referred to as "Kitchen-sink dramas." (Taylor, 2000, p.3) Similarly to the Nouvelle Vague, this film movement also is shot in a pseudo-documentary style and used "real locations and the employment of non-professional or little-known actors" (Taylor, 2000, p.3) presenting that what "distinguished this new cinema was it's commitment to 'realism', a determination to tackle 'real' social issues and experiences in a manner which matched, a style which was honest and realistic as well." (Hill, 1986, p.127) It can be said that this film movement is a result of documentaries with John Grierson describing them as "the creative treatment of actuality" in 1930 (Hill, 1986, p.128) although, people believe documentaries are mainly about the "creative" side meaning the mediation of the text rather than the "actuality." Therefore people link British New Wave to the Free Cinema or the Cinema Vérité movement of the 1950s which presented realistic cinema and extended "a range of cinematic representation to include the working class beyond London to the industrial towns and cities of the north of England." (Taylor, 2000, p.4) They also presented "the development of youth culture" (Murphy, 1992, p. 126) as shown in Karel Reisz's We Are the Lambeth Boys (1959) which presents youth in a positive light as apposed to delinquency. These films also showed the lives of the working class who had previously been used as comic characters.
A Taste of Honey (1961) directed by Tony Richardson "inherits the 'poetic realism' of Free Cinema" (Murphey, 1992, p.22) and was "Richardson's first venture to the industrial slumland of the north." (Murphy, 1992, p.22) The film follows a pregnant teenage girl who struggles to escape from the grasp of her mother through her relationship with a black sailor and friendship with a gay student. It "invokes a utopia in which the outcasts- blacks, homosexuals, tarts- are at the heart of society." (Harper, 2000, p.112) The film is very typical of the British New Wave as it uses "unknown regional actors" (Hill, 1986, p.127) as this was Rita Tushingham's first role, this allows the audience to focus on the story and not the actors themselves, giving the film a documentary feel. Although it uses unknown actors, it focuses on a female protagonist where as the majority of the films of the time centred around "angry young men" (Brown, 1997, p.193) showing it may not be completely typical of the British New Wave. The film has also been described as a "feminist text above all...the female generations control the action and, in the end, expel the men." (Harper, 2000, p. 112) as at the end of the film Jo returns to her mother.
Although the film uses location shooting, this can be said to not be a feature of the British New Wave as the location almost overrides the plot itself and this was one of the main criticisms of the film at the time of release. Although this was a criticism, Richardson wanted to show the "indulgence of location" (Taylor, 2000, p.52) and the shots "serve to slow down the action and oblige the viewer to pay attention to the film's pictorial beauty." (Taylor, 2000, p.53) and being able to show the relationship between people and place, this case being Jo and Manchester. "It is place rather than action which assumes importance. Rather than place providing the setting for narrative significant action, it is insignificant action which provides the pretext for a visual display of place." (Hill, 1986, p. 131) This can be seen in many scenes, one being when Jo is walking home from school and there is a series of 7 shots lasting 50 seconds before Jimmy appears, continuing the narrative. Another example is the opening scene when Jo is on the bus with Jimmy and we have multiple establishing shots of Manchester before we establish who the characters are.
Youth are also shown in a positive light with juxtaposed the negative stereotype the demographic had at the time. "Films suggested that problems with their behaviour lay with society rather than in the innate delinquency of youth or the failure of their individual families." (Geraghty,1997, p.314) As although Jo sleeps with a black sailor, resulting in her pregnancy, her "entry into sexuality is associated not with a move into adult desires but with a childlike need for help." (Geraghty, 1997, p.156) She is also shown as independant, moving away from her mother's clutter and decorating her new home with Geoff creating space, suggesting a new life. She is also presented as optimistic and hopeful, shown in a scene with Geoff and Jo where they both regard each other as "unique" and "bloody marvellous!"
In conclusion A Taste of Honey is fairly typical of the British New Wave as it presents a documentary style with unknown actors, real locations and a realistic plot but, is goes against the typicality by using a female protagonist and using location over plot in certain instances.
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AuthorMegan Hilborne is a freelance film writer and graduated from the University of Portsmouth in 2020 with a degree in film. ArchivesCategories |