Bringing to mind rockers and royals, Buckingham Palace and the Scottish Highlands, Britain holds a special interest for international audiences who have flocked in recent years to quality British exports like ''Fish Tank'', ''Trainspotting'' and ''The King's Speech''. A series of essays and articles exploring the definitive films of Great Britain, this addition to ''Intellect's Directory of World Cinema'' series turns the focus on England together with Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. With a focus on the most successful, cerebral and critically important films to have come out of Britain, this volume explores the diversity of and genres found throughout British film, highlighting important regional variations that reflect the distinctive cultures of the countries involved. Within these categories, Emma Bell and Neil Mitchell have curated a diverse and rich collection of films for review - from Hitchcock's spy thriller ''The 39 Steps'' to Powell and Pressburger's art classic ''The Red Shoes'' to the gritty and heartfelt ''This is England''.Interspersed throughout the book are critical essays by leading experts in the field providing insight into shifting notions of Britishness, important industry developments and the endurance of the British film industry. For those up on their Brit film facts and seeking to test their expertise, the book concludes with a helpful 'test Your Knowledge' section.