--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The British cinema had been very dull and…" description: "\"The British cinema had been very dull and conformist.\" — Karel Reisz" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/469/karel-reisz-45005_british_the-british-cinema-had-been-very-dull-an_2035715.png" --- # The British cinema had been very dull and conformist. ![“The British cinema had been very dull and conformist.” quote by Karel Reisz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/469/karel-reisz-45005_british_the-british-cinema-had-been-very-dull-an_2035715.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/469/karel-reisz-45005_british_the-british-cinema-had-been-very-dull-an_2035715.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/469/karel-reisz-45005_british_the-british-cinema-had-been-very-dull-an_2035715.png) > “The British cinema had been very dull and conformist.” [Karel Reisz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karel-reisz/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. British cinema was seen as lacking originality and adhering to safe, conventional styles. **In simple terms:** British films were dull and conformist. Key Takeaway Encourage bold, innovative filmmaking. Themes film criticism culture conformity Mood critical analytical Type critical historical When to use this quote - film festivals - scriptwriting - directing - production meetings Key Concepts artistic innovation industry standards Questions to Reflect On - How can filmmakers challenge conformity? - What examples defy this view? A Different Perspective Not all British films are dull; many break norms. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [British](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/british/) [British Cinema](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/british-cinema-306181/) [Cinema](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cinema/) [Cinema Dull](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cinema-dull-3762642/) [Conformist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conformist/) [Dull](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dull/) [Dull Conformist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dull-conformist-3762643/) ## Related quotes > [Somebody said that part of my reaction to British cinema is actually, paradoxically, a patriotic one. I'm so disappointed that we're not better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-brownlow/somebody-said-that-part-of-my-reaction-to-british-cinema-is-actually/) [Kevin Brownlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-brownlow/) > [I've been fortunate to work since I was 20 and I've always strived to be a part of good independent British cinema.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harris-dickinson/i-ve-been-fortunate-to-work-since-i-was-20-and-i-ve-always-strived-to/) [Harris Dickinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harris-dickinson/) > [After 'The Gamekeeper' I made one other film called 'Looks and Smiles,' but making British films was very difficult. There wasn't a tradition of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-loach/after-the-gamekeeper-i-made-one-other-film-called-looks-and-smiles/) [Ken Loach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-loach/) > [I'm very fond of the British cinema. I'm a big fan of Martin Campbell and Daniel Craig. I actually find Daniel very inspirational, especially…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-bauer/i-m-very-fond-of-the-british-cinema-i-m-a-big-fan-of-martin-campbell/) [Steven Bauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-bauer/) > [Children of Men' reinforces what few would doubt, but which British cinema would seldom lead you to suspect: the British landscape bristles with cinematic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-fisher/children-of-men-reinforces-what-few-would-doubt-but-which-british/) [Mark Fisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-fisher/) > [I'm a big fan of British cinema; I think we make some unbelievably brilliant films, but they can quite often have a dark feel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-speleers/i-m-a-big-fan-of-british-cinema-i-think-we-make-some-unbelievably/) [Ed Speleers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-speleers/) > [I got a chance to work with so many stalwarts from British cinema. Judi Dench, of course, who is a legend. Then there was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ali-fazal/i-got-a-chance-to-work-with-so-many-stalwarts-from-british-cinema/) [Ali Fazal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ali-fazal/) > [The late great Horace Lloyd Swithin (1844-1917), British essayist, lecturer, satirist, and social observer, wrote in his autobiographical Appointments, 1890-1901 (1902), "When one travels…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marisha-pessl/the-late-great-horace-lloyd-swithin-1844-1917-british-essayist/) [Marisha Pessl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marisha-pessl/) > [It has taken me nearly twenty years of studied self-restraint, aided by the natural decay of my faculties, to make myself dull enough to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/it-has-taken-me-nearly-twenty-years-of-studied-self-restraint-aided/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [Fish cakes are perceived as being quite British, and they're always a bit brown and a little dull.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yotam-ottolenghi/fish-cakes-are-perceived-as-being-quite-british-and-they-re-always-a/) [Yotam Ottolenghi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yotam-ottolenghi/) > [Only conformists are ever adored.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-breillat/only-conformists-are-ever-adored/) [Catherine Breillat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-breillat/) > [Our legal system, including the police, is anti-Dalit and anti-poor. The death penalty laws' wrathful majesty, in blood-shot equality, deals the fatal blow on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/v-r-krishna-iyer/our-legal-system-including-the-police-is-anti-dalit-and-anti-poor-the/) [V. R. Krishna Iyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/v-r-krishna-iyer/) > [While my dad is a rebel at heart, I am a conformist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vivaan-shah/while-my-dad-is-a-rebel-at-heart-i-am-a-conformist/) [Vivaan Shah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vivaan-shah/) > [Education, for most people, means trying to lead the child to resemble the typical adult of his society . . . but for me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-piaget/education-for-most-people-means-trying-to-lead-the-child-to-resemble/) [Jean Piaget](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-piaget/) > [Today it is the skeptics who are the social conformists, though because of powerful intellectual propaganda they continue to enjoy thinking of themselves as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dallas-willard/today-it-is-the-skeptics-who-are-the-social-conformists-though/) [Dallas Willard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dallas-willard/) ## More by Karel Reisz > [A big element of what they regard as conformity is simply a desire to have an audience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karel-reisz/a-big-element-of-what-they-regard-as-conformity-is-simply-a-desire-to/) [Karel Reisz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karel-reisz/) > [A style is not a matter of camera angles or fancy footwork, it's an expression, an accurate expression of your particular opinion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karel-reisz/a-style-is-not-a-matter-of-camera-angles-or-fancy-footwork-it-s-an/) [Karel Reisz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karel-reisz/) > [I will only speak off the record about Debra Winger.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karel-reisz/i-will-only-speak-off-the-record-about-debra-winger/) [Karel Reisz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karel-reisz/) > [There's a great danger in making this seem more important than it is, this whole Free Cinema thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karel-reisz/there-s-a-great-danger-in-making-this-seem-more-important-than-it-is/) [Karel Reisz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karel-reisz/) > [I'm now beginning to feel that the pessimistic vision is not for the movies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karel-reisz/i-m-now-beginning-to-feel-that-the-pessimistic-vision-is-not-for-the/) [Karel Reisz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karel-reisz/) > [I said I would do all the films about the commercials, and the films about ball-bearings and Ford tractors and so on, if once…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karel-reisz/i-said-i-would-do-all-the-films-about-the-commercials-and-the-films/) [Karel Reisz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karel-reisz/) > [Heroism in a bad cause.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karel-reisz/heroism-in-a-bad-cause/) [Karel Reisz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karel-reisz/) > [Minority views expressed in films simply don't sell tickets.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karel-reisz/minority-views-expressed-in-films-simply-don-t-sell-tickets/) [Karel Reisz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karel-reisz/) [Explore all 9 Karel Reisz quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karel-reisz/) ## More British quotes > [I'd love to work in the States; I'd love to work anywhere where you get a good script and a good part to play.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-carmichael/i-d-love-to-work-in-the-states-i-d-love-to-work-anywhere-where-you/) [Laura Carmichael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-carmichael/) > [I shot for French and British Vogue. The British Vogue one featured clothes by Chloe and was shot at Highgate and the John Soane…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nan-goldin/i-shot-for-french-and-british-vogue-the-british-vogue-one-featured/) [Nan Goldin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nan-goldin/) > [We can find common qualities and common values that have made Britain the country it is. Our belief in tolerance and liberty which shines…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-brown/we-can-find-common-qualities-and-common-values-that-have-made-britain/) [Gordon Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-brown/) > [ No wonder that Churchill described this effort \[the British codebreakers working at Bletchley Park\] as "Britian"s secret weapon," a weapon far more effective than… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-hilton/no-wonder-that-churchill-described-this-effort-the-british/) [Peter Hilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-hilton/) > [When we first sold the Wallace and Gromit shorts to America, people suggested we get rid of the strange British accents and put clear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-park/when-we-first-sold-the-wallace-and-gromit-shorts-to-america-people/) [Nick Park](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-park/) > [I always wanted to make a 'James Bond' film, and they only seemed to hire British directors, and I'd made 'Swingers' - they were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-liman/i-always-wanted-to-make-a-james-bond-film-and-they-only-seemed-to/) [Doug Liman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-liman/) > [Somebody said that part of my reaction to British cinema is actually, paradoxically, a patriotic one. I'm so disappointed that we're not better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-brownlow/somebody-said-that-part-of-my-reaction-to-british-cinema-is-actually/) [Kevin Brownlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-brownlow/) > [All the cliches of glamorous sophistication have little appeal to me. Do I want to live the British version of 'Dynasty?' No thanks!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sade-adu/all-the-cliches-of-glamorous-sophistication-have-little-appeal-to-me/) [Sade Adu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sade-adu/) > [British Forces should be in a position to give back in a ten fold measure any attack that the Germans may attempt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-banting/british-forces-should-be-in-a-position-to-give-back-in-a-ten-fold/) [Frederick Banting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-banting/) > [Although I don't have anything against people from other countries, the higher the influx into England the more the British identity disappears.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/although-i-don-t-have-anything-against-people-from-other-countries/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It could be my British need for discipline that makes me admire the American appetite for freedom and passion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-winwood/it-could-be-my-british-need-for-discipline-that-makes-me-admire-the/) [Steve Winwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-winwood/) > [While we like to think queueing is unique to British culture, the truth is that we are mere amateurs. The old Soviet Union turned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-hartley-brewer/while-we-like-to-think-queueing-is-unique-to-british-culture-the/) [Julia Hartley-Brewer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-hartley-brewer/) > [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/) > [The whole nuclear-arms-control and non-proliferation policy of the nuclear powers is a fraud: The Americans could not prevent the Soviets from replicating their weaponry,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/conrad-black/the-whole-nuclear-arms-control-and-non-proliferation-policy-of-the/) [Conrad Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/conrad-black/) > [There just seems to be more acceptance now of other kinds of British films, than the picture-postcard ones.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-roth/there-just-seems-to-be-more-acceptance-now-of-other-kinds-of-british/) [Tim Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-roth/) [Browse all 3,149 British quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/british/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The British cinema had been very dull and conformist.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Karel Reisz" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karel-reisz/the-british-cinema-had-been-very-dull-and-conformist/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "British" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karel-reisz/the-british-cinema-had-been-very-dull-and-conformist/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/469/karel-reisz-45005_british_the-british-cinema-had-been-very-dull-an_2035715.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/469/karel-reisz-45005_british_the-british-cinema-had-been-very-dull-an_2035715.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/469/karel-reisz-45005_british_the-british-cinema-had-been-very-dull-an_2035715.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The British cinema had been very dull and conformist.” — Karel Reisz", "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": "Karel Reisz", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karel-reisz/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The British cinema had been very...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karel-reisz/the-british-cinema-had-been-very-dull-and-conformist/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karel-reisz/the-british-cinema-had-been-very-dull-and-conformist/#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 } } ] } ```