British Film Institute's Top 100 British Films of the 20th Century

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Early in 1999, the British Film Institute produced a selection booklet and sent copies to 1,000 people embracing all strands of the film, cinema and television industries throughout the UK – producers, directors, writers, actors, technicians, academics, exhibitors, distributors, executives and critics. Participants were asked to consider (and vote for up to 100) ‘culturally British’ feature films, released in cinemas during the 20th century, which they felt had made a strong and lasting impression. Altogether, more than 25,700 votes were cast, covering 820 different films.

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  1. 2.
    Brief Encounter - Criterion Collection
    by David Lean

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  2. 3.

  3. 4.

  4. 5.
    Great Expectations - Criterion Collection
    by David Lean

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  5. 6.
    Kind Hearts and Coronets
    by Robert Hamer

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  6. 7.
    Kes
    by Ken Loach

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  7. 8.
    Don't Look Now
    by Nicolas Roeg

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  8. 9.
    The Red Shoes - Criterion Collection
    by Emeric Pressburger

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  9. 10.
    Trainspotting
    by Danny Boyle

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  10. 12.
    If... (Criterion Collection)
    by Lindsay Anderson

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  11. 13.
    The Ladykillers
    by Alexander Mackendrick

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  12. 14.
    Saturday Night And Sunday Morning
    by Karel Reisz

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  13. 15.
    Brighton Rock
    by John Boulting 1947 (UK) 92min

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  14. 16.
    Get Carter
    by Mike Hodges

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  15. 17.
    The Lavender Hill Mob
    by Charles Crichton

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  16. 18.
    Henry V - Criterion Collection
    by Laurence Olivier

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  17. 19.
    Chariots of Fire (Full Screen Edition)
    by Hugh Hudson

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  18. 20.
    A Matter of Life and Death (AKA Stairway to Heaven)
    by Emeric Pressburger

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  19. 21.
    The Long Good Friday - Criterion Collection
    by John Mackenzie

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  20. 22.
    The Servant
    by Joseph Losey

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  21. 23.
    Four Weddings and a Funeral
    by Mike Newell

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  22. 24.
    Whisky Galore! (1949)
    by Alexander Mackendrick

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  23. 25.
    The Full Monty
    by Peter Cattaneo

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  24. 26.
    The Crying Game
    by Neil Jordan

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  25. 27.
    Doctor Zhivago (Two-Disc Special Edition)
    by David Lean

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  26. 29.

  27. 30.
    Gregory's Girl
    by Bill Forsyth

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  28. 31.
    Zulu
    by Cy Endfield

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  29. 32.
    Room at the Top
    by Jack Clayton

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  30. 33.
    Alfie
    by Lewis Gilbert (II)

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  31. 34.
    Gandhi

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  32. 36.
    The Italian Job
    by Peter Collinson

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  33. 37.
    Local Hero
    by Bill Forsyth

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  34. 38.
    The Commitments

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  35. 39.
    A Fish Called Wanda
    by John Cleese

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  36. 40.
    Secrets and Lies
    by Mike Leigh

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  37. 41.
    Dr. No (Special Edition)
    by Terence Young

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  38. 42.
    The Madness of King George
    by Nicholas Hytner

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  39. 43.
    A Man for All Seasons
    by Fred Zinnemann

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  40. 44.
    Black Narcissus - Criterion Collection
    by Michael Powell

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  41. 45.
    The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp - Criterion Collection
    by Emeric Pressburger

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  42. 46.
    Oliver Twist - Criterion Collection
    by David Lean

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  43. 47.
    I'm All Right Jack
    by John Boulting

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  44. 48.
    Performance
    by Nicolas Roeg

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  45. 49.
    Shakespeare in Love (Miramax Collector's Series)
    by John Madden

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  46. 50.
    My Beautiful Laundrette
    by Stephen Frears

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Created by Robot Co-op on Nov 30, 2005.
 

Comments

MestnyiGeroi
New York City

Untitled — 2 weeks ago

Just realised that A Canterbury Tale is not on this list!!!
I know there’s a lot of P&P on the list already, and that’s probably why it was left off; all the same, when I compare that film to a number of the sheer mediocrities on this list, it seems absurd.


Untitled — 50 weeks ago

Anyone wanting to delve a bit further could take a peek at my list of “200+ Essential British Films”! I do think Bill Douglas’ trilogy, or at least My Childhood (one of the very greatest British films), should be here.


wmrandth
Seattle

About the BFI list — 2 years ago

The original list is online at the BFI site:

http://www.bfi.org.uk/features/bfi100/

and it is worth reading what the rational for choice was and also what the definition of “British” was.

Chariots of Fire is number 19 on the list. Also, number 89 is mistitled, since the film chosen was actually Jenning’s Fires Were Started, which is on that DVD collection.


rangutan
München

Wonderful list! — 2 years ago

I grew up in the Commonwealth so saw a lot of these films before realising what Hollywood realy was about. Looking back, some of these films a true gems!

The “Carry on…” series of comedies brought immense delight, laughter and happiness to our large family in the 60`s and 70`s.

I am surprised that “Sound of Music” and “My Fair Lady” did not make the top 100 in the voting, I wonder also where the brilliant “Chariots of Fire” ended?

[Iv’e added some posters but why are my icons square?]