3. Carol Reed (1906 - 1976)
Perhaps not as popular as the two guys he's sandwiched in between, Carol Reed was still a genius filmmaker who should never be forgotten and needs always be talked about in the same breath as the best of them. Like many on the list, Reed got his start with documentaries, most notably making The True Glory with American Garson Kanin and receiving an Oscar for it in 1946. With this international recognition, Reed suddenly found himself as one of the most prominent directors to emerge onto the British scene and in the 1940s made three back-to-back-to-back masterpieces that provide almost all of the cement needed to immortalize him as one of Britain's greatest filmmaking assets. Odd Man Out with James Mason, The Fallen Idol with Ralph Richardson and, most significantly, The Third Man with Joseph Cotton and Orson Welles in peak form showcase a master director at work, evoking poetic realism and methodical camera work on the three stories, dealing with intrigue and espionage on the small and the big scale. Though the 50s weren't as easily memorable for Reed, he did come back to the forefront of everyone's attention with Oliver! in 1968, the multiple Oscar winner that would ultimately be the director's final great bow to the world of cinema.
Must See: The Third Man (1949)
2. David Lean (1908 - 1991)
Here's someone you've surely heard of, because it's nigh impossible to spell "epic" without thinking of the letters that make up the name David Lean. Influencing countless of Hollywood directors who are still working today and talking about how great he was (Steven Spielberg being the biggest one of them all) and becoming one of the most well-known British filmmakers who has ever lived, you'd think that David Lean has at least 50 films to his name. Not so. He's got 16, but almost all of them are so good that it's not really hard to put him second in a list such as this. Mostly known for the trio of unparalleled epics Lawrence of Arabia, Bridge on the River Kwai and Doctor Zhivago, Leans' earlier work - especially his adaptations of Charles Dickens's classics and work with the playwright Noel Coward - should not go unnoticed and are a perfect introduction to the filmmaker's intuitive relationship with this medium. A man of sensational talents, David Lean's movies may test your patience with their length but they often reveal a world full of cinematic wonder.
Must See: Brief Encounter (1945)
1. Charles Chaplin (1889 - 1977)
We've finally arrived to the head honcho. The man who could twirl a mustache, roll his eyes, hit himself with his walking stick and still say something crucial about the function of human society. Surprisingly enough, many Brits don't like to talk about Charlie Chaplin as one of their greatest and that's probably due to the fact that he made his famous films in America. The fact remains that he was British, and though his films can't exactly be called quintessentially British in the ways they were made or what they presented (like Jennings, Dickinson or Dearden for example) , his themes of love, social ineptitude, greed, individualism vs. collective thinking and the chains of society are universally embracing and as such should be celebrated by his countrymen. He received the knighthood two years before his death, so there! Now that that's settled, we shouldn't have to go to great lengths to explain why he's the number one choice here. Charles Chaplin, is at the top of the list when it comes to making an impact on cinemam, especially with his string of films featuring the lovable Tramp. Andrew Sarris
called him "arguably the single most important artist produced by the cinema",
TIME magazine listed him as one of the most important people to have ever lived in the 20th century and if we were to list all the other accolades attributed to Mr. Chaplin we might as well change our name to WhatChaplin!
Must See: City Lights (1931) Have we missed anyone? You think there's a Brit here not getting his or her rightful due? Or maybe we're giving someone else extra credit? Let us know in the comments section, and
head over to the British Film Registry to make your own votes for this year's talents and films.