Get the latest updates on Film for free!
Subscribe to our newsletter and receive a daily digest email, myFT Daily Digest, with the latest Film news every morning.
Artistically speaking, the cities in the west have recently been portrayed on screen in the best possible way. In 2020, Emma Seligman transformed a wake in New York into a tragicomic farce in the film Shiva Baby. Jacques Audiard uplifted the love story of Paris’s 13th arrondissement in Les Olympiades in 2021. This year, Raine Allen-Miller brought south London to life in a delightful romantic comedy called Rye Lane. And now, in Charlotte Regan’s debut feature film Scrapper, working-class exurban London serves as the backdrop for a story about a father seeking redemption for his past neglect.
What these films have in common is their ability to address serious topics such as self-discovery, the consequences of hidden affairs, grief, family breakdown, and deception, while also authentically depicting their respective city settings in a way that residents can immediately recognize as true-to-life and desirable places to live.
Unfortunately, these films also share another connection: being overshadowed at the box office. The combined earnings of Shiva Baby, Les Olympiades (also known as Paris, 13th District), and Rye Lane amount to less than the $194 million generated by the first Downton Abbey movie, by a margin of approximately $190 million.
This is partly due to a shift in consumer habits, with Rye Lane being made available on Disney+ shortly after its theatrical release. Additionally, modern films set in New York that find success comparable to smart comedies like When Harry Met Sally or Manhattan typically feature superheroes.
However, this fact also highlights a neglected truth: as power shifts away from the west and towards middle powers and the Chinese market, there are cultural implications in addition to political and economic ones. Culture is shaped by economics, politics, and technology, just as it shapes our understanding of these domains. Commercially successful culture often caters to the prejudices of a global audience. For example, Downton Abbey appeals to national nostalgia and aligns with the image of Britain held by wealthy tourists and moviegoers, but it may not resonate with many Britons or capture their shared experiences and struggles as films like Rye Lane or Scrapper do.
It is worth noting that both Downton movies earned more revenue overseas than in the UK. In fact, the first Downton film made more in China alone than Rye Lane did worldwide. Similarly, while Les Olympiades is available for streaming, it is unlikely to surpass the popularity of the clichéd blockbuster TV show Emily in Paris, which garners more viewers on Netflix than any other portrayal of life in the French capital.
As power continues to shift from the west, particularly Europe, studios will likely produce more films that appeal to the tourist’s perspective of the continent. If left solely to market forces, the portrayal of the UK on screen may resemble the India depicted in The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel: a version that may not resonate with its citizens but caters to the preconceived notions of foreign customers.
Why does this matter? Because the merit of films such as Rye Lane, Les Olympiades, Shiva Baby, and Scrapper goes beyond subjective taste. These films depict the positive outcomes of societal experiments, showcasing communities where love can flourish between same-sex couples, or where individuals from different cultural backgrounds can find love. The fact that Rye Lane features a black middle-class lead is not only commendable for providing an actor of color with a role that breaks stereotypes, but it also celebrates the success of multiculturalism in the UK.
Throughout the 20th century, governments recognized the political value of television and cinema. Arts and culture served not only as a means of conveying coded messages to agents, as exemplified by David Hendy’s account in The BBC: A People’s History, but also as a way to promote distinctively British cultural products. South Korea’s recent success in cinema and TV demonstrates that unique, mature films can thrive commercially. As governments chart their course through the return of multipolarity, they should remember that cinema and television hold value as social goods, not just as sources of entertainment for a couple of hours.
Contact: [email protected]
Denial of responsibility! VigourTimes is an automatic aggregator of Global media. In each content, the hyperlink to the primary source is specified. All trademarks belong to their rightful owners, and all materials to their authors. For any complaint, please reach us at – [email protected]. We will take necessary action within 24 hours.
