--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There's always been this strand of…" description: "\"There's always been this strand of filmmaking in Britain which is like socialist neo-realism. That's always been there. I've never been part of that, r..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ef5/john-boorman-22660_fantasy_there-s-always-been-this-strand-of-filmm_737510.jpg" --- # There's always been this strand of filmmaking in Britain… ![“There's always been this strand of filmmaking in Britain which is like socialist neo-realism. That's always been there. I've never been part of that, really; I've been much closer to fantasy.” quote by John Boorman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ef5/john-boorman-22660_fantasy_there-s-always-been-this-strand-of-filmm_737510.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ef5/john-boorman-22660_fantasy_there-s-always-been-this-strand-of-filmm_737510.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ef5/john-boorman-22660_fantasy_there-s-always-been-this-strand-of-filmm_737510.jpg) > “There's always been this strand of filmmaking in Britain which is like socialist neo-realism. That's always been there. I've never been part of that, really; I've been much closer to fantasy.” [John Boorman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-boorman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He notes a persistent strand of socialist neo‑realism in British film, though his own work leans toward fantasy. **In simple terms:** British film has a realist tradition, but he prefers fantasy. Key Takeaway Explore the balance between realism and imagination in your work. Themes film artistic identity genre British cinema Mood reflective analytical Type critical artistic When to use this quote - film criticism - screenwriting - directing - genre blending Key Concepts cinema studies creative process Questions to Reflect On - How does your style reflect or reject national trends? - Can realism and fantasy coexist in a single film? A Different Perspective Fantasy may alienate audiences seeking realism. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Fantasy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fantasy/) [Film](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/film/) [Filmmaking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/filmmaking/) [Filmmaking Britain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/filmmaking-britain-1756340/) [Neo Realism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/neo-realism-1001684/) [Realism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/realism/) [Realism Ve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/realism-ve-5764836/) [Socialist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/socialist/) ## Related quotes > [I acknowledge Mike Leigh and Ken Loach. They are prostlytizers of English socialism preaching to the converted and telling us what we already know.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-greenaway/i-acknowledge-mike-leigh-and-ken-loach-they-are-prostlytizers-of/) [Peter Greenaway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-greenaway/) > [“monism that moved on into a flourishing school called Neo-Realism. If a piece of chalk is dropped on the lecture table, that interaction of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/monism-that-moved-on-into-a-flourishing-school-called-neo-realism-if/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The moral of filmmaking in Britain is that you will be screwed by the weather.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-grant/the-moral-of-filmmaking-in-britain-is-that-you-will-be-screwed-by-the/) [Hugh Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-grant/) > [I was seduced by the nouvelle vague, because it was really reinventing everything. And the Italian cinema that one would see in the theaters…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernardo-bertolucci/i-was-seduced-by-the-nouvelle-vague-because-it-was-really-reinventing/) [Bernardo Bertolucci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernardo-bertolucci/) > [I am the daughter of Mr. Neo-realism: I should gravitate towards narrative simply told, character, the truth. And I do love those movies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isabella-rossellini/i-am-the-daughter-of-mr-neo-realism-i-should-gravitate-towards/) [Isabella Rossellini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isabella-rossellini/) > [ Negativity is often looked upon \[in the USA\] as a kind of thought crime. Not since the advent of socialist realism has the world… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-eagleton/negativity-is-often-looked-upon-in-the-usa-as-a-kind-of-thought-crime/) [Terry Eagleton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-eagleton/) > [I originally came from Dresden, where Socialist Realism prevailed. Konrad Lueg and I came up with it, for the most part ironically, since I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerhard-richter/i-originally-came-from-dresden-where-socialist-realism-prevailed/) [Gerhard Richter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerhard-richter/) > [Most literary critics agree that fiction cannot be reduced to mere falsehood. Well-crafted protagonists come to life, pornography causes orgasms, and the pretense that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-t-vollmann/most-literary-critics-agree-that-fiction-cannot-be-reduced-to-mere/) [William T. Vollmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-t-vollmann/) > [Lenin thought abstract art was a conspiracy by the bourgeois to demoralize the proletariat. Yeah, socialist realism!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-andre/lenin-thought-abstract-art-was-a-conspiracy-by-the-bourgeois-to/) [Carl Andre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-andre/) > [I was a big fan of John Cassavetes, his wife, Gena Rowlands, and that era of filmmaking which was about realism and which represented…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carmen-ejogo/i-was-a-big-fan-of-john-cassavetes-his-wife-gena-rowlands-and-that/) [Carmen Ejogo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carmen-ejogo/) > [I think it is important for all those young out there - who someday hope to play real football, where you throw it and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kemp/i-think-it-is-important-for-all-those-young-out-there-who-someday/) [Jack Kemp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kemp/) > [The American Constitution declares 'All men are born equal.' The British Socialist Party add: 'All men must be kept equal'.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/the-american-constitution-declares-all-men-are-born-equal-the-british/) [Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/) > [“Vodka was a liquid cultural yardstick, an eighty-proof vehicle of escape from the socialist daily grind.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/vodka-was-a-liquid-cultural-yardstick-an-eighty-proof-vehicle-of/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [When I was a sophomore at USC, I was a socialist, pretty much to the left. But not when I left the university. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wayne/when-i-was-a-sophomore-at-usc-i-was-a-socialist-pretty-much-to-the/) [John Wayne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wayne/) > [There's a dishonest tyranny in the liberal/progressive/socialist agenda that comes down and says 'we are here because we care about you; we want what's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allen-west/there-s-a-dishonest-tyranny-in-the-liberal-progressive-socialist/) [Allen West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allen-west/) ## More by John Boorman > [What is passion? It is surely the becoming of a person. Are we not, for most of our lives, marking time? Most of our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-boorman/what-is-passion-it-is-surely-the-becoming-of-a-person-are-we-not-for/) [John Boorman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-boorman/) > [What we need is someone to abolish the House Of Lords, get rid of the Royal Family.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-boorman/what-we-need-is-someone-to-abolish-the-house-of-lords-get-rid-of-the/) [John Boorman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-boorman/) > [I was in Japan, and my assistant director had worked with Kurosawa. I used quite of number of Kurosawa's crew.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-boorman/i-was-in-japan-and-my-assistant-director-had-worked-with-kurosawa-i/) [John Boorman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-boorman/) > [And you poor creatures--who conjured you out of the clay? Is God in show business, too?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-boorman/and-you-poor-creatures-who-conjured-you-out-of-the-clay-is-god-in/) [John Boorman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-boorman/) > [There are always forces at work in a society, certainly in America, which are really forces of censorship -either religious bodies or zealots who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-boorman/there-are-always-forces-at-work-in-a-society-certainly-in-america/) [John Boorman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-boorman/) > [Black-and-white gives you that sort of parallel world. Also, it's very close to the condition of dreaming, to the unconscious.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-boorman/black-and-white-gives-you-that-sort-of-parallel-world-also-it-s-very/) [John Boorman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-boorman/) > [The more extreme and the more expressed that passion is, the more unbearable does life seem without it. It reminds us that if passion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-boorman/the-more-extreme-and-the-more-expressed-that-passion-is-the-more/) [John Boorman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-boorman/) > [I'm trying to suggest a kind of Middle Earth, in Tolkien terms. It's a contiguous world; it's like ours but different.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-boorman/i-m-trying-to-suggest-a-kind-of-middle-earth-in-tolkien-terms-it-s-a/) [John Boorman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-boorman/) > [When actors are being defensive and defending their position, that is when you get less than good acting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-boorman/when-actors-are-being-defensive-and-defending-their-position-that-is/) [John Boorman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-boorman/) > [I look at the story, I look at the idea and just try to think of it in terms of that whole body of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-boorman/i-look-at-the-story-i-look-at-the-idea-and-just-try-to-think-of-it-in/) [John Boorman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-boorman/) > [All the interesting films are now being made by their subsidiaries for very low budgets. But the studios are not making money. They're making…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-boorman/all-the-interesting-films-are-now-being-made-by-their-subsidiaries/) [John Boorman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-boorman/) > [It's so easy to manipulate an audience, but it's nearly always clear that you are being manipulated. I think even people that are not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-boorman/it-s-so-easy-to-manipulate-an-audience-but-it-s-nearly-always-clear/) [John Boorman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-boorman/) > [In the '60s and '70s it was a great period for American films because studios were still run by individuals who worked off the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-boorman/in-the-60s-and-70s-it-was-a-great-period-for-american-films-because/) [John Boorman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-boorman/) > [What is passion? Passion is surely the becoming of a person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-boorman/what-is-passion-passion-is-surely-the-becoming-of-a-person/) [John Boorman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-boorman/) > [The resistance to black-and-white is huge, in the way that you have to sell the film. It's difficult to distribute around the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-boorman/the-resistance-to-black-and-white-is-huge-in-the-way-that-you-have-to/) [John Boorman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-boorman/) [Explore all 27 John Boorman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-boorman/) ## More Fantasy quotes > [“I am awake. I know what you took. I am coming for you. Vengeance is mine.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-burks/i-am-awake-i-know-what-you-took-i-am-coming-for-you-vengeance-is-mine/) [Robin Burks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-burks/) > [I avoided nudity unless a film couldn't be told without those scenes. If you look at my films, few of them have that element,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greta-scacchi/i-avoided-nudity-unless-a-film-couldn-t-be-told-without-those-scenes/) [Greta Scacchi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greta-scacchi/) > [We don't make glamorous movies today. Everything now is very realistic, artistic - and depressing. When is the last time you you saw a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edith-head/we-don-t-make-glamorous-movies-today-everything-now-is-very-realistic/) [Edith Head](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edith-head/) > [I like fantasy, but I don't live and breathe fantasy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-schmidt-hissrich/i-like-fantasy-but-i-don-t-live-and-breathe-fantasy/) [Lauren Schmidt Hissrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-schmidt-hissrich/) > [“Metal makes everything magical. Just ask a unicorn.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sybrina-durant/metal-makes-everything-magical-just-ask-a-unicorn/) [Sybrina Durant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sybrina-durant/) > [“(Evil people) do not believe in forgiveness. Their transgressions are either punished or not punished. That is the only result that matters.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-mchugh/evil-people-do-not-believe-in-forgiveness-their-transgressions-are/) [Daniel McHugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-mchugh/) > [My first three manuscripts were epic fantasy - like high fantasy - and then the fourth one was a historical fantasy about Mozart as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-lu/my-first-three-manuscripts-were-epic-fantasy-like-high-fantasy-and/) [Marie Lu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-lu/) > [I'm a geek - I read fantasy novels, I play 'World of Warcraft,' I'm a massive gamer, I have 'Star Trek' outfits.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kazinsky/i-m-a-geek-i-read-fantasy-novels-i-play-world-of-warcraft-i-m-a/) [Robert Kazinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kazinsky/) > [“When we let go of our battles and open our heart to things as they are, then we come to rest in the present…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kornfield/when-we-let-go-of-our-battles-and-open-our-heart-to-things-as-they/) [Jack Kornfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kornfield/) > [“Perhaps Nesta will take up the blood-drinking habit, too. I certainly believe her threat to rip out my throat. Maybe she'll enjoy the taste.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-j-maas/perhaps-nesta-will-take-up-the-blood-drinking-habit-too-i-certainly/) [Sarah J. Maas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-j-maas/) > [I like to play people that are real, a real person, and then something that's interesting with that person. I think it's a lot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/devon-bostick/i-like-to-play-people-that-are-real-a-real-person-and-then-something/) [Devon Bostick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/devon-bostick/) > [It's a hindrance in trying to get a serious acting role. The minute a producer has a script and my name comes up, they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbi-benton/it-s-a-hindrance-in-trying-to-get-a-serious-acting-role-the-minute-a/) [Barbi Benton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbi-benton/) > [No one will ever write a fantasy novel better than The Hobbit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/no-one-will-ever-write-a-fantasy-novel-better-than-the-hobbit/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I've always loved sci-fi and fantasy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olly-alexander/i-ve-always-loved-sci-fi-and-fantasy/) [Olly Alexander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olly-alexander/) > [“I will always be within reach if you need me, little one...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-r-von/i-will-always-be-within-reach-if-you-need-me-little-one/) [A.R. Von](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-r-von/) [Browse all 5,469 Fantasy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fantasy/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "There's always been this strand of filmmaking in Britain which is like socialist neo-realism. That's always been there. I've never been part of that, really; I've been much closer to fantasy.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John Boorman" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-boorman/there-s-always-been-this-strand-of-filmmaking-in-britain-which-is/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Fantasy" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-boorman/there-s-always-been-this-strand-of-filmmaking-in-britain-which-is/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ef5/john-boorman-22660_fantasy_there-s-always-been-this-strand-of-filmm_737510.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ef5/john-boorman-22660_fantasy_there-s-always-been-this-strand-of-filmm_737510.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ef5/john-boorman-22660_fantasy_there-s-always-been-this-strand-of-filmm_737510.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“There's always been this strand of filmmaking in Britain which is like socialist neo-realism. That's always…” — John Boorman", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "John Boorman", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-boorman/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "There's always been this strand of...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-boorman/there-s-always-been-this-strand-of-filmmaking-in-britain-which-is/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-boorman/there-s-always-been-this-strand-of-filmmaking-in-britain-which-is/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```