How British is Star Wars? [Episode 102]
After over 100 episodes looking at the positive definition of 'Britishness', it's time to ask what are the limits to 'Britishness'? A negative definition of 'Britishness' attempts to define it by what it is not. Boundaries. To this end, I use the BFI (British Film Institute) rubric to test the 'Britishness' levels of the original 1977 Star Wars movie (A New Hope). The rubric is as follows:Section A – cultural contentA1: Film set in the UK or a European Economic Area (EEA) – Up to 4 pointsA2: Lead characters British or EEA citizens or residents – Up to 4 points A3: Film based on British or EEA subject matter or underlying material – 4 points A4: Original dialogue recorded mainly in English or UK indigenous language or EEA language – Up to 6 pointsSection B – cultural contributionThe film demonstrates British creativity, British heritage and/or diversity – Up to 4 pointsSection C – cultural hubsC1:(a) At least 50% of the principal photography or SFX takes place in the UK – 2 points (b) At least 50% of the VFX takes place in the UK – 2 points (c) An extra 2 points can be awarded if at least 80% of principal photography or VFX or SFX takes place in the UK – 2 points C2: Music Recording/Audio Post Production/Picture Post Production – 1 pointSection D – cultural practitionersD1: Director – 1 point D2: Scriptwriter – 1 point D3: Producer – 1 point D4: Composer – 1 point D5: Lead actors – 1 pointD6: Majority of cast – 1 point D7: Key staff (lead cinematographer, lead production designer, lead costume designer, lead editor, lead sound designer, lead visual effects supervisor, lead hair and makeup supervisor) – 1 point D8: Majority of crew – 1 pointTotal available points: 35 (I mis-speak at the start of the episode, correcting myself later)Number of points needed to pass the Britishness test: 18 pointshttps://www.bfi.org.uk/apply-british-certification-tax-relief/cultural-test-film/summary-points-cultural-test-film***I refer to several books throughout the episode:Tales of the Perilous Realmby J.R.R. Tolkien Star Wars: The Magic of Mythby Mary HendersonThe Making of Star Wars: The Definitive Story Behind the Scenes of the Original Filmby J.W. RinzlerThe Hero With A Thousand Facesby Joseph Campbell Message me anytime on Instagram, or e-mail: AlbionNeverDies@gmail.comCheck out my https://www.youtube.com/britishcultureCheck out my Red Bubble shopSomething that really is new is my newsletter. Several subscribers have their postcards and other little 'thank you's in the post, just randomly drawn from the list!Subscribe to my newsletter: https://youtube.us9.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=b3afdae99897eebbf8ca022c8&id=5165536616Support the show