Yorkshire may not be the most obvious location for romantic movies with London perhaps being a more regular choice . Yet England’s largest county has a rich literary heritage and a tradition of storytelling which is reflected in many Yorkshire films - from adaptations of Brontë novels to more contemporary scripts. Many of the films are not romantic in the traditional sense but deal with love in its many forms.
Films Based on Novels by the Brontë Sisters
The Brontë family lived in the Yorkshire village of Haworth during the 1800s, where the sisters Anne, Emily and Charlotte wrote their now famous works. Wuthering Heights, Emily’s romantic gothic novel, has had numerous TV and cinematic interpretations – most recently directed by Andrea Arnold (Fish Tank) in 2011. In the battle of the Brontë sisters, Charlotte’s novel Jane Eyre also has multiple film adaptations – with man of the moment Michael Fassbender playing Rochester to Mia Wasikowska’s Jane in the most recent (2011) film directed by Cary Fukunaga.
British New Wave Films
So-called New Wave cinema of the 1950s and 1960s gave a voice to the British working classes in films such as Saturday Night Sunday Morning (1960) and A Kind of Loving (1962). The 1959 film Room at the Top, based on John Braine’s novel, was the first of this type. Filmed on location in the West Yorkshire towns of Bradford and Halifax, if you like your romance gritty then this is worth seeking out.
Kes (1969) may be an unorthodox choice for a romantic Valentine’s Day watch. This superb Ken Loach film, adapted from a Barry Hine’s story set in Barnsley, explores the special relationship between a bullied school boy and the falcon he trains. It is heartbreaking and romantic in the widest sense.
Recently Tyrannosaur (2011), directed by Paddy Considine and starring Olivia Colman, has been compared with these kitchen sink style New Wave dramas of the 1960s. Filmed in Leeds, the film is a bleak and startling depiction of the sometimes interconnection of love and cruelty.
Contemporary Yorkshire
There are a number of romantically inclined films made during the last two decades which reflect modern day Yorkshire. Here are some of the best:
- Brassed Off (1996), starring Pete Postlethwaite, Tara Fitzgerald, Ewan McGregor and Stephen Tompkinson. Set in South Yorkshire this film deals with the decline of the coal mining industry and its community. Although there is a romantic storyline between Fitzgerald and McGregor it is the music and politics which makes this film particularly interesting.
- Little Voice (1998), starring Jane Horrocks, Ewan McGregor, Brenda Blethyn and Michael Caine. This charming romance between two oddballs, shy reclusive singer LV and pigeon fancier Billy, was filmed in the seaside town of Scarborough.
- My Summer of Love (2004), starring Emily Blunt, Natalie Press and Paddy Considine. Filmed in the countryside around Todmorden in West Yorkshire this film explores the relationship between two young women of different social class. This is a tale of opposites attract and is a startlingly beautiful film which evokes the seemingly endless, indolent summers of youth.
Watching Films in Yorkshire
Yorkshire is home to the National Media Museum which, in addition to exhibitions, has IMAX and other cinema screens. There are many independent cinemas across the county including the delightful Hyde Park Picture House in Leeds. Throughout the year there are film festivals at various locations, including Leeds, Bradford and Sheffield.
Jacqui Taylor - I am a part-time librarian, art student and writer. Previously I have done a wide range of jobs - from selling theatre tickets to teaching ...
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