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5 The First World War in British Narrative Film and Television: From Visual Archive to Filmic Imagination

This chapter provides an historical overview of cinematic and televisual representations of the First World War on British screens from the immediate post-war period to the 2014-18 centenary. It highlights the enduring importance of the visual archive that was created during the war and the continuous interplay between the literary and audiovisual imagination. The contribution establishes further that from the silent era onwards British productions have been more varied in form, genre and content than the most popular Western Front narratives imply. The chapter’s inclusive diachronic approach draws attention to preoccupations that have remained constant over time; it also identifies shifts in First World War films and television dramas that are indicative of social, political and medial change. For the twenty-first century, the author observes a certain narrative exhaustion which is counteracted by a reorientation towards new digital possibilities and immersive and participatory forms.