Unique Identity: Twist or Stick?
No-one can sensibly argue against the need for films to make money. In a post-Heavens Gate world, it is no longer possible to justify commercial disaster on the basis of alleged artistic integrity. Whatever we may think of the current system, we should be thankful that people are not disappearing so far up their own backsides that they have forgotten whom they are making films for. But just because we no longer permit the likes of Michael Cimino to sink studios in the name of pretentious garbage, that does not mean that the British film industry should be geared entirely towards making money and competing with the mainstream. There are two ways of being successful in business: either do the same as someone else and do it much better, or create something different that people want. To use a gambling analogy, the British film industry must decide whether to stick with tried-and-tested products (most of which are American in origin), or to offer a twist on the mainstream, at the risk of making slightly less money in the short term. In my view to stick would be suicidal. When I wrote on WhatCulture about
the re-emergence of Hammer, I spoke about how British films cannot beat American films at their own game. When you just take the shared language into account, its a level playing field: a good film in English from America may well be on a par with a good British film in English. But when you add in the huge distribution and marketing infrastructure at Hollywoods disposal, the odds are vastly stacked in Americas favour. It would be like trying to beat the house at blackjack with only half a pack of cards. The great British exports of the past, whether Hammer, Bond or the Carry On series, worked because they offered an alternative to the Hollywood norm, even if they were still geared towards the mainstream. You may not like them, but they are unmistakeably British, and they did make money. At a time when Hollywood is giving us more and more standardised product, British film stands a real chance of gaining a genuine, long-term foothold in popular culture if it is brave enough to invest in projects that are different, unusual and risky. It may take longer and a number of failures before we get there, but it is a more noble and beneficial goal than chasing a fast buck.