British New Wave Cinema

British New Wave Cinema made its appearance during the late 1950’s in the world of European cinema representing Britain as a nation in a socio-political aspect during a time where Britain was divided and defined by social class. Some of the issues portrayed in British new wave cinema are issues such as the economic state of Britain at the time, poverty issues, employment ,racism, sexual orientation, and gender, all these as a reality of the country. The representations of these films at the time were presenting the country through personal and emotional stories of the characters in the film. The two sects of British film, “new” and “old” British new wave cinema depicted issues that concerned society at the time. However, they have been slightly different as British cinema had the tendency to portray and “document” the lives of these characters realistically but by using by using a coming effect within the story’s narrative.
The way in which these films were directed where influenced by the events that were taking place at the time and different movements and establishments which again were part of political and social issues such as post world war two which had influenced that generation. Such movements that have influenced the British cinema where the Italian Neorealism movement which is seen as one of the major influences of British new wave, literature in Britain at the time, free cinema movement or kitchen sink and angry young men. All these contributed to the way British new wave cinema was formed regarding its narrative, aesthetics and themes used forming the cinema itself and setting it “apart” from Britain’s mainstream cinema and the US