British Film - My Beautiful Laundrette (1985) Clip 1

'My Beautiful Laundrette' was one of the most controversial, and surprisingly successful British films of the 1980s. Produced by Channel 4, it deals with the social fractures, racial tensions and changing political landscape explicit at the time. It also throws in a central relationship between two young men, one Pakistani, Omar and one white, working class, Johnny (Daniel Day-Lewis). Even today, this film would appear ahead of its time! Ultimately its focus is on the experience of Pakistani immigrants and their attempts to come to terms with the England of the 1980s.
In this sequence we meet Omar Hussein (Gordon Warnecke) and his alcoholic father (Papa) a former socialist journalist in Karachi who calls his brother to Nasser (Saaed Jaffrey) give Omar a job at his garage.
What impression do you get of England in the 1980s from the opening scene in the flat?
What is Uncle Nasser and Salim's (Derrick Branche) attitude to the English?
What indications are we given of the integration of the Pakistani characters into British society?

Category:

Education

Tags:

• British
• Film
• My
• Beautiful
• Laundrette
• Immigrant
• Experience
• Colective
• Identity

[thisistakingages]

nice post, watched this film years ago. only loosely remeber the film now. think i'll have to get this on dvd!