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Looking at the plethora of film movements that emerged in Europe over the course of the 20th century, British cinema is easily ignored. It was never quite as chic as the French New Wave nor as organic as the work of the Italian neorealists. But that’s not to say pre and post-war British cinema isn’t worth our time. In fact, it would be a great injustice to write off British cinema as staid and artificial when it is far more diverse than that. Quentin Tarantino would agree. Here, the Pulp Fiction, Inglorious Basterds and Once Upon A Time In Hollywood director names his favourite British films from 1939 to 1966.

Back in 2021, Tarantino and Shaun of The Dead, Hot Fuzz and Last Night in Soho director Edgar Wright sat down to discuss all things British cinema for the Empire Film Podcast. When the episode aired, Wright took to Twitter to share a list of the British films mentioned by Tarantino. This list includes gritty gangster movies, globetrotting wartime dramas, and noir thrillers set to pulsating jazz soundtracks. When read in order, Tarantino’s selection seems to trace the evolution of British cinema from the war to the swinging ’60s. So, let’s take a closer look.

The first film Tarantino mentions is 1939’s The Saint In London, directed by John Paddy Carstairs, the son of revered stage actor Nelson Keys. Incredibly prolific, Carstairs worked on a dizzying 24 films in the 1930s alone, mostly as a screenwriter. He also directed a total of 37 films. The Saint In London is one of eight British crime dramas starring George Sanders as Templar, a private detective who, on returning to London, enlists ex-pickpocketer Dugan and socialite Penny to investigate a seedy gambler called Bruno Lang. What starts out as an enquiry into a potential counterfeiting racket soon evolves into a case to solve a high-profile kidnapping. It’s bloody glorious.

Tarantino also discusses 1944’s Action In Arabia, released a year before the end of the war. Also starring George Sanders, who moved to Britain with his family following the Russian Revolution of 1917, Action In Arabia takes place in Damascus, where an American reporter is investigating the death of a colleague. With the help of spy Yvonne Danesco, Michael Gordon discovers that the killing is linked to a Nazi scheme to alter the course of the war.

Further down Tarantino’s list, we have All Night Long, which stands in stark contrast to the gun-ho cinema of the war era. Boasting a sultry jazz score, the 1962 picture is essentially a retelling of Othello in ’60s London, where a smoky jazz club is hosting a celebration of musical partners Aurelias Rex and Delia Lane, who just so happen to be romantically involved. When jealous drummer Johnny, our transplanted Iago, decides to destroy their relationship, things start to fall apart. Daring, socially conscious and littered with appearances by jazz alumni such as Dave Brubeck and Charles Mingus, All Night Long is a nuanced distillation of early ’60s London.

Tarantino discussed many more British films during his conversation with Edgar Wright, all of them well worth a watch. You can check out the full list below.

Quentin Tarantino’s favourite British films: