With reference to at least two Welsh films, consider to what extent Welsh film has an obligation to reflect Welsh identity and concerns Wales has a long film making history, films were projected here 17 years before Chaplin's screen career even began (www.bbc.co.uk). The cinema of Wales is represented in all fields of the film making process, with many movies being made in Wales or by Welsh filmmakers abroad. There are also countless Welsh actors, writers and Directors who have gained critical acclaim and global significance in the world of film. Wales, like most other European countries accords a special importance to images of itself in its films, and the cinema is seen to constitute the most direct and powerful source of this image (Everett, 2005:31). Everett is arguing that Welsh cinema is linked to our national identity so is of great importance in how we are perceived by the rest of the world. In this essay I plan to investigate how Welsh film represents Wales and whether it has an obligation to reflect Welsh identity and concerns. Many Welsh films have been criticized because they feature so few dominant paradigms representing Wales and its people (Marzierska & Rascaroli, 2003: 205). Filmmakers often turn to stereotypes or make generalizations when attempting to portray Wales on screen. A classic example of this is in How Green Was My Valley (1941). This film has upset some and drawn a lot of criticism for its apparent falsification of Welsh history. Marzierska and Rascaroli argue that this film has a preoccupation with Welsh myths, rather than with its reality (Marzierska & Rascaroli, 2003: 205) and Richards states that it contains most of the elements of Welsh myth the pit and the heroic pitman, the choir, the chapel, the beauties of the countryside (Richards, 1997: 217). These images and narratives have shaped how Wales was to become known at home and overseas. They have borne the weight of Welsh folk- memory and created a mythic Wales unlikely to be lodged from the mind of cinema goers (Berry, 1994: 160). If it is true that movies can have such a lasting impact and if how we are perceived as a nation is based on Welsh film then some may argue
that Welsh film is actually crucial in defining who we are so does have an obligation to reflect Welsh identity and concerns. How Green Was My Valley was a box office hit, winning five Oscars. It is described by Richards as the defining Welsh film (Richards, 1997: 216) and according to Dai Smith it is the most important document ever written about South Wales (Smith, 1999: 149). The imagery within the film is some of the most defining and mediated we can find today. The problem with this is that How Green Was My Valley, along with many other Welsh films at the time only offered a minority of roles to Welsh actors and were actually filmed outside of Wales. It was sobering to reflect that almost all the popular films in the thirties and forties which conditioned the way people outside Wales saw the nation, were made by outsiders (Berry, 1994: 5). Berry goes on to state for years Welsh people have been forced to see themselves on screen as often uninformed visiting film crews have seen them (Berry, 1994: 11). The fact that many Welsh films were made by so- called outsiders has lead to some claims that as a result, they lack authenticity and portray false representations. Some may argue that inaccurate representations in the past mean that now, more than ever, Welsh film has an obligation to reflect Welsh identity and concerns in a contemporary way. In recent years there have been numerous attempts to do just this. It has been suggested that our national cinemas have been reflecting a more fluid, hybrid and plural sense of Britishness representing the complexities of national life more fully than before (Hill, 1999: 241). This confidence in national cinema was certainly visible in Wales. Twin Town (1997), together with some other films made in the 1990s, including Gadael Lenin (1993) were heralded as the beginning of a more indigenous Welsh cinema (Marzierska & Rascaroli, 2003: 205). Twin Town packed local cinemas and came during the peak of Cool Cymru. However, the film incurred the wrath of a number of self- styled guardians of
Wales s image, including the tourist board and the clergy (Dunkerley & Thompson, 1999: 123), due in large part to its negative portrayals, such as crime and drugs. For many, the film shows a negative attitude towards the Welsh. Director and screenwriter, Kevin Allen, argues against this by claiming that it could be set in any contemporary British city drugs and crime happen everywhere (Ashby & Higson, 2000: 269). Even when Welsh national identity is reflected in a less positive light isn t necessarily damaging to our national identity. Trainspotting had not been detrimental to the tourist trade in Edinburgh. In spite of the negative projection of Wales, it may actually boost sales (Ashby & Higson, 2000: 270). Some of the issues brought up in Twin Town are representative of what goes on in some Welsh towns and cities. Some may argue that you can t show one side of a nation without also commenting on the other side. So when portraying Wales, filmmakers have an obligation to show what they perceive to be the truth, regardless of whether the reflection on the Country is positive or negative. Movies are quite often as much a reflection of the filmmaker as they are the place being shown - All too frequently the view offered has told us more about the film- maker than about Wales (Berry, 1994: 11). There are bound to be clashes over what representing Wales actually means. Traditional images clash with contemporary portrayals but each shows a different side to Wales.. Modern Wales is diverse and has many different identities; all of which should be documented and shown to the world. In terms of the establishment of a genuinely separate and distinctive national screen culture, Wales s situation within the UK is unique (Blandford, 2007: 87). This is largely due to S4C. The contribution of S4C to Welsh film culture is significant because in many people s view it is responsible for the stagnation of film culture in Wales (Blandford, 2007: 88). While Channel 4 was providing the rest of the UK film industry with substantial support, S4C instead focused on the promotion of the Welsh language. This coupled with the fact that British cinema struggled to survive in the face of apparently unassailable dominance of Hollywood at the British box office (Hjort & Mackenzie, 2000: 143) lead to some
asking whether we can actually speak of a Welsh cinema or, in fact, a Welsh film industry? (Barlow, Mitchell & O Malley, 2005: 63). However, despite lack of funding and a limited domestic market within the UK there have been a number of successful Welsh and English language movies, such as Patagonia (2010) and Hunky Dory (2011). Some would argue that these films do have an obligation because only a national cinema can offer an alternative set of images and ideas and in doing so adequately address the preoccupations and experience of contemporary British cultural life (Hill, 1999: 241). The Welsh language is an ongoing source of tension in regards to Welsh identity and only Welsh films can really show this concern. However, some may argue that they should not have an obligation because concerns over the Welsh language appeals to such a small minority and if Welsh film is to be successful then it must cater for an international market and cover themes that affect everyone and not just the Welsh. I ve already touched on the point that some Welsh films stereotype Welsh characters. For example, A Run For Your Money (1949) and Notting Hill (1999) use the Twp Taffy. However, a films genre must be taken into consideration when talking about whether or not it has an obligation to reflect an identity. Comedy films often use stereotypes for their comedic value but audiences are active and are aware that what they are seeing is just a representation and not reality. As a result you could argue that Welsh comedy films don t necessarily have an obligation to reflect Welsh identity and concern. In conclusion, some may feel that suggesting Welsh film has such obligations is a little unfair. Not every film that comes out of Wales needs to make reference our national identity. After all, not every film out of Hollywood is commenting on American concerns and their identity. Welsh film is often less about being Welsh and Wales but more about themes. How Green Was My Valley was a success because of its story growing up, falling in love, the joys and sorrows of family life, death (Richards, 1997: 216). People didn t care that the film was actually
counter to the political feeling within Wales at the time. The films politics have been forgotten but its themes live on. Welsh identity and concerns are constantly changing and developing so Welsh movies should focus on the story rather than trying to reflect something that the movie will outlive. Many would argue that in the future, Welsh film should feel no obligation to reflect Welsh identity, whether it is in a positive or negative way. Ultimately, people remember a movie and not the area it is set in. In contrast to this, there is a lot of evidence suggesting that cinema is directly linked to our global representation so it could be deemed reasonable to suggest that Welsh film does have an obligation to reflect Welsh identity and concerns. If this is true then I feel that the Welsh Film Council must ensure that Welsh people are the ones making these representations and reflections. They must stop the domination of Welsh cinema by outsiders, particularly Englishmen and Americans (Marzierska and Rascaroli, 2003: 205) and continue to improve its media facilities in Wales with projects such as the Porth Teigr development, which according to First Minister Carwyn Jones is a major step forward for the creative industries in Wales (www.walesonline.co.uk). Wales has traditionally been the object, not the subject, of the gaze (Everett, 2005: 31) and if this is to change then the Film Council and the Government needs to provide the people of Wales with the means, the know- how, the skills and the equipment to develop its own content.
Books: Bibliography Ashby, J & Higson, A. (2000) British Cinema, Past and Present, Oxon: Routledge. Barlow, D., Mitchell, P. & O Malley, T. (2005) The Media in Wales: Voices of a Small Nation, University of Wales Press. Berry, D. (1994) Wales and Cinema: The First Hundred Years, University of Wales Press. Blandford, S. (2007) Film, Drama and the Break- Up of Britain, Bristol: Intellect Books. Dunkerley, D. & Thompson, A. (1999) Wales Today, University of Wales Press. Everett, W. (2005) European Identity In Cinema, Bristol: Intellect Books. Hill, J. (1999) British Cinema in the 1980 s: Issues and Themes, Clarendon Press. Hjort, M. & Mackenzie, S. (2000) Cinema & Nation, London: Routledge. Marzierska, E. & Rascaroli, L. (2003) From Moscow to Madrid: Postmodern Cities, European Cinema, London: I.B. Tauris & Co Ltd. Richards, R. (1997) Films and British National Identity From Dickens to Dad s Army, Manchester: Manchester University Press. Smith, D. (1999) Wales: A Question For History, Seren.
Websites: http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/arts/sites/film/pages/history- 1896-1910.shtml (accessed 27th March 2012). http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/need- to- read/2012/03/11/dr- who- fans- go- behind- the- scenes- at- new- bbc- studios- 91466-30508817 (accessed 28th March 2012).