Post-war trauma and doubling in 1940-50s British cinema

Abstract

This thesis explores doubling motifs in British films in the 1940s/1950s, focusing on case studies that conform to realist traditions. British realist films are often analysed on a purely literal level whereas this study is aimed at exploring ways to re-examine these texts using different approaches. The study covers example films from 1943-1955 and situates the examples in various historical contexts to examine wider themes such as class, gender, propaganda and tensions in Europe. The thesis makes a connection between the manifestation of a subtle doubling motif in British films and links to real-world societal events in post-war Britain.