The Library is presenting a series of free film screenings for students and staff in conjunction with our current exhibition Great Novels of 1814: Austen, Burney, Edgeworth and Scott
Wednesday Program: March & April 2014
Screenings commence at 2pm in the Exhibition Space, Level 2, Fisher Library
| 12 March | Culloden (Dir. Peter Watkins, UK, 1964. B&W, not rated) The Jacobite rebellion of 1746 is brought thrillingly to life by Watkins. Shot as if made by a documentary film crew, we see the climactic battle from both English and Scottish viewpoints resulting in an anti-war masterpiece. |
| 19 March | Barry Lyndon (Dir. Stanley Kubrick, UK, 1975, rated PG) Set against the backdrop of the Anglo-Irish conflicts of the Eighteenth Century, Barry Lyndon tells of the escapades of an Irish adventurer in both love and war. Whilst director Kubrick’s genius is undisputed (2001:A Space Odyssey, The Shining, A Clockwork Orange), it is the stellar work of John Alcott’s Oscar-winning cinematography that lingers longest in the memory. |
| 26 March | The Madness of George III (Dir. Nicholas Hytner, UK, 1994, rated PG) As King George appears to succumb to the effects of dementia, a struggle for power breaks out in court and parliament. Alan Bennett’s magnificent screenplay is brought to life by a top-notch cast including Helen Mirren, Ian Holm and the stupendous Nigel Hawthorne. |
| 2 April | Mansfield Park (Dir. Patricia Rozema, UK, 1999, rated M) Patricia Rozema brings a freshness to Jane Austen’s 1814 novel, with an emphasis on the political context of slavery and colonialism. Critic Roger Ebert said of the film “This is an uncommonly intelligent film, smart and amusing too, and anyone who thinks it is not faithful to Austen doesn’t know the author but only her plots.” |
| 9 April | Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (Dir. Peter Weir, UK, 2003, rated M) During the Napoleonic Wars Captain Jack Aubrey (Russell Crowe) pursues a French warship around the coast of South America. Crowe produces one of his finest performances, and Paul Bettany as his friend and chief scientist is outstanding. |
| 16 April | Amazing Grace (Dir. Michael Apted, UK, 2007, rated PG) A fine depiction of William Wilberforce’s campaign for the abolition of slavery in Britain. Ioan Gruffudd heads an excellent cast including such actors as Benedict Cumberbatch, Romola Garai and Albert Finney. |