In 1999, the British Film Institute surveyed 1,000 people from the world of British film and television to produce a list of the greatest British films of the 20th century. Voters were asked to choose up to 100 films that were "culturally British".
List breakdown The 1960s head the list with 26 films of merit for the decade. The most represented years, with four films each, are 1949, 1963, and 1996. The earliest film selected was The 39 Steps (1935), and only two other 1930s films made the list. David Lean is the most represented director on the list, with six films, three in the top five and The Bridge on the River Kwai in eleventh place. Michael Powell follows with five entries, co-directing four of them with Emeric Pressburger as part of the Powell and Pressburger ("The Archers") filmmaking partnership. John Schlesinger also directed four. Alexander Mackendrick and Tony Richardson each directed three films. Ealing Studios produced seven films on the list, all between 1949 and 1955. Alec Guinness is the most represented actor, with nine filmssix in starring roles and three in supporting roles. Julie Christie is the most represented actress, with six films on the list.
Full list RankTitleYearDirector1The Third Man1949Carol Reed2Brief Encounter1945David Lean3Lawrence of Arabia1962David Lean4The 39 Steps1935Alfred Hitchcock5Great Expectations1946David Lean6Kind Hearts and Coronets1949Robert Hamer7Kes1969Ken Loach8Don't Look Now1973Nicolas Roeg9The Red Shoes1948Powell and Pressburger10Trainspotting1996Danny Boyle11The Bridge on the River Kwai1957David Lean12if....1968Lindsay Anderson13The Ladykillers1955Alexander Mackendrick14Saturday Night and Sunday Morning1960Karel Reisz15Brighton Rock1948John Boulting16Get Carter1971Mike Hodges17The Lavender Hill Mob1951Charles Crichton18Henry V1944Laurence Olivier19Chariots of Fire1981Hugh Hudson20A Matter of Life and Death1946Powell and Pressburger21The Long Good Friday1980John Mackenzie22The Servant1963Joseph Losey23Four Weddings and a Funeral1994Mike Newell24Whisky Galore!1949Alexander Mackendrick25The Full Monty1997Peter Cattaneo26The Crying Game1992Neil Jordan27Doctor Zhivago1965David Lean28Monty Python's Life of Brian1979Terry Jones29Withnail and I1987Bruce Robinson30Gregory's Girl1980Bill Forsyth31Zulu1964Cy Endfield32Room at the Top1959Jack Clayton33Alfie1966Lewis Gilbert34Gandhi1982Richard Attenborough35The Lady Vanishes1938Alfred Hitchcock36The Italian Job1969Peter Collinson37Local Hero1983Bill Forsyth38The Commitments1991Alan Parker39A Fish Called Wanda1988Charles Crichton40Secrets & Lies1996Mike Leigh41Dr. No1962Terence Young42The Madness of King George1994Nicholas Hytner43A Man for All Seasons1966Fred Zinnemann44Black Narcissus1947Powell and Pressburger45The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp1943Powell and Pressburger46Oliver Twist1948David Lean47I'm All Right Jack1959John Boulting48Performance1970Nicolas Roeg and Donald Cammell49Shakespeare in Love1998John Madden50My Beautiful Laundrette1985Stephen Frears51Tom Jones1963Tony Richardson52This Sporting Life1963Lindsay Anderson53My Left Foot1989Jim Sheridan54Brazil1985Terry Gilliam55The English Patient1996Anthony Minghella56A Taste of Honey1961Tony Richardson57The Go-Between1970Joseph Losey58The Man in the White Suit1951Alexander Mackendrick59The Ipcress File1965Sidney J. Furie60Blowup1966Michelangelo Antonioni61The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner1962Tony Richardson62Sense and Sensibility1995Ang Lee63Passport to Pimlico1949Henry Cornelius64The Remains of the Day1993James Ivory65Sunday Bloody Sunday1971John Schlesinger66The Railway Children1970Lionel Jeffries67Mona Lisa1986Neil Jordan68The Dam Busters1955Michael Anderson69Hamlet1948Laurence Olivier70Goldfinger1964Guy Hamilton71Elizabeth1998Shekhar Kapur72Goodbye, Mr. Chips1939Sam Wood73A Room with a View1985James Ivory74The Day of the Jackal1973Fred Zinnemann75The Cruel Sea1953Charles Frend76Billy Liar1963John Schlesinger77Oliver!1968Carol Reed78Peeping Tom1960Michael Powell79Far from the Madding Crowd1967John Schlesinger80The Draughtsman's Contract1982Peter Greenaway81A Clockwork Orange1971Stanley Kubrick82Distant Voices, Still Lives1988Terence Davies83Darling1965John Schlesinger84Educating Rita1983Lewis Gilbert85Brassed Off1996Mark Herman86Genevieve1953Henry Cornelius87Women in Love1969Ken Russell88A Hard Day's Night1964Richard Lester89Fires Were Started1943Humphrey Jennings90Hope and Glory1987John Boorman91My Name Is Joe1998Ken Loach92In Which We Serve1942Noël Coward and David Lean93Caravaggio1986Derek Jarman94The Belles of St. Trinian's1954Frank Launder95Life Is Sweet1990Mike Leigh96The Wicker Man1973Robin Hardy97Nil by Mouth1997Gary Oldman98Small Faces1995Gillies Mackinnon99Carry On Up the Khyber1968Gerald Thomas100The Killing Fields1984Roland Joffé
See also
Time Out 100 best British films Films considered the greatest ever BFI TV 100 – a list of the best British television programmes AFI's 100 Years...100 Movies 100 Italian films to be saved In 2004 the BFI compiled a list of the 100 biggest UK cinematic hits of all time based on audience viewing, the list was released as a book. The top 10 are available in this BBC News Online story.
References
BBC. 23 September 1999. Entertainment: Best 100 British films – full list. Accessed 30 January 2014.
Categories:
Lists of British films Top film lists British Film Institute 1999 in film 1999 in British cinema
This page was last edited on 11 May 2023, at 07:0
See also List of films voted the best Time Out 100 best British films BFI TV 100 – a list of the best British television programmes AFI's 100 Years...100 Movies 100 Italian films to be saved In 2004, the BFI compiled a list of the 100 biggest UK cinematic hits of all time based on audience viewing, the list was released as a book. The top 10 are available in this BBC News Online story.
References BBC. 23 September 1999. Entertainment: Best 100 British films – full list. Accessed 30 January 2014.
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