The two British comedies I have studied are Notting Hill and Attack the Block. They are completely contrasting to each other in terms of storyline and characters. Notting Hill depicts the more upper class area of London and emphasises the classic ‘gentlemanly nature’ of London men. Attack the Block however, depicts a group of primarily black youths from a council estate in the more ‘rough’ area of London that get attacked by aliens.
‘Britishness’ is clearly represented in Notting Hill. It features William Thacker (Hugh Grant) a middle-upper class male who runs a travel book shop and lives in Notting Hill. It follows the typical stereotypes that other cultures imagine when they think of ‘Britain’. Williams accent is very posh and he is well put together with his shirts, trousers and perfect hair. The scene featuring a picturesque view of the market in Notting Hill through the seasons represents the ‘Postcard Britain’ that we are primarily associated with. The market scene gives the impression that the area is always beautiful no matter what the weather. The welsh character, Spike, Williams flat mate is a dirty, vulgar character who treats women more as an object for his own pleasure than as another human being. The 'dirty' appearance and characteristics seem to be associated with the Welsh by other cultures.
Attack the block however could be considered a binary opposite. The youths featured speak in slang and come across as uneducated. Their appearance is shabby with their hoodies and bandanas covering their faces which also makes them appear threatening and dangerous. It is this sort of stereotype that Britain is also associated with. Other cultures seem to assume that us Brits are either extremely posh or the complete opposite, there is no inbetween. In terms of cultural values, both Notting Hill and A.T.B emphasise the need for friendship and sense of community within our culture. They both imply that without our friends we would be nothing. Attack the Block could also be associated with the classic British Eeling comedies as it features a prejudice against the police/authority.
Overall, both of these movies express opposing representations of the British Culture and rely on the main stereotypes that are of interest worldwide (especially Notthing Hill). Although completely opposite in representations of London, they are both more or less accurate in depicting the varies inhabitants of the country.
