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cinema with more availability, 560 million pounds was spent on multiplex building but as Wayne states, this investment was mostly American.' (Wayne, 2002. pg 9) Since the 1980s, the building of multiplex cinemas has reflected an increase in cinema-going but their principal function has been to provide an outlet for Hollywood productions in the British market.' (Davies, 2000. pg 117) It is therefore quite obvious that in attempting to create an economically thriving industry, the British government has had to make concessions that have had an effect on British film as an art form. Unlike France for example who have maintained an industry dominated by their own indigenous films , British movies were categorised as American-like' from the 1960s and that is what audiences were going to see. In allowing American companies to monopolise the exhibition and distribution sector during the late 1980s, it has made it very difficult for niche market British films to prosper. If they fail to appeal to mass market audiences both in Britain and America, they'll fail to get distributed because American companies will not take the risk.

In conclusion, it is obvious that American production companies and studios have a power and influence over the British Film industry that is largely impossible to overcome. Therefore, the government should embrace American investment rather than discourage it by taking away tax incentives. Also, instead of putting large amounts of money into production, use more of it for advertising, distribution and exhibition rights with the stellar example being set by Film Four with the success of East Is East'.

Works cited:

BBC Online (2004) UK movie industry 'in jeopardy' [online] available from http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/ent ertainment/film/3481331.stm (accessed Nov 25 2005)

Beaumont, N (2004) Four At The Movies [online] available from http://www.transdiffusion.org/ emc/studioone/filmfour.php (accessed Nov 25 2005)

Davies, A (2000) British Culture and the Postwar London: Routledge

Dickinson, M and Street, S (1985) Cinema and State London: BFI

Ebert, R (1997) The Full Monty critical review [online] available from http://rogerebert.suntimes.com /apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19 970827/REVIEWS/708270301/1023 (accessed Nov 28 2005)

Guttmann, E (2000) East Is East critical review {online] available from http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/ article.cgi?f=/c/a/2000/04/21/ DD47115.DTL (accessed 28 Nov)

Gordon, B (1999) Hollywood Exile, or How I Learned to Love the Blacklist Texas: University of Texas Press

Hopkins, N (2005) Tax break blow to UK film industry [online] available from http://business.timesonline.co .uk/article/0,9071-1480691,00. html (accessed Nov 25 2005)

Imdb (2005) International Movie Datebase [online] available from www.imdb.com (accessed 27th Nov)

Lant, A (1996) Britain at the end of Empire: The Oxford History Of World Cinema London: Oxford

McNeill, T (1999) Introduction To Postwar French Cinema [online] available from http://www.sunderland.ac.uk/~o s0tmc/contem/film.htm (accessed Nov 28 2005)

Parish, J.R (2006) Fiasco: A History of Hollywood's Iconic Flops New York: John Wiley & Sons Inc (not yet published (publish date January 2006), extracts available online from http://eu.wiley.com/WileyCDA/W ileyTitle/productCd-0471691593 .html (accessed 26th November))

Petrie, D (1996) British Cinema: The Search For Identity The Oxford History Of World Cinema London: Oxford

Sorlin, P (1991) European Cinemas: European Societies 1939 1990 London: Routledge

Stack, P (1997) Brassed Off critical review [online] available from http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/ article.cgi?f=/c/a/1997/05/30/ DD37142.DTL (accessed Nov 28 2005)

Wayne, M. (2002) Politics Of Contemporary European Cinema Bristol: Intellect Books

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