This groundbreaking book by one of Britain's leading film historians is the first to take on this major genre in all its complexity. It takes to heart Ken Loach's view that ""the only reason to make films that are a reflection on history is to talk about the present."" With this proposition as his starting point, James Chapman examines the place of historical films in British cinema history and film culture. Through in-depth case studies of fourteen key films, from Henry V and Zulu to Chariots of Fire and Elizabeth, he analyzes the themes they present, including gender, ethnicity, militarism and and imperialism--throughout exploring their dialectical relationship between past and present and how they project images and ideologies of ""Britishness"" to audiences in the UK and North America.