"The country was dirt poor, but the English were wild for movies." David Thompson, The Big Screen
Directed by Henry Cornelius, with a script by T.E.B. Clarke, Passport to Pimlico was nominated for the Best Writing, Story and Screenplay Oscar in 1950.
In Passport to Pimlico, the working-class population of Pimlico, a small section of central London, stumbles upon an ancient charter indicating that King Edward IV had ceded the neighborhood to the Duke of Burgundy in the 1400s. This discovery makes the town of “Burgundy” independent of Great Britain—and therefore outside the government’s legal jurisdiction. Chaos ensues: The Burgundians celebrate by tearing apart their ration books and splurging on food and alcohol. Newspapers across the country hail the spirit and pluck of the Burgundians as they refuse to crack under the intense pressure of the British government.
In this clip, one Burgundian enthusiastically rejects the government's rationing policies.
In this clip, one Burgundian enthusiastically rejects the government's rationing policies.
"I have a hunch that the Conservatives owed a great deal to T.E.B. ‘Tibby’ Clarke’s gem of a script." Peter Hennessy, Never Again
Passport to Pimlico crystallized widespread unhappiness about government rationing, offering a fantastical alternative to the drab reality of everyday life in post-war Britain. Hennessy argues that the film may have contributed to the Labour government’s huge losses in the 1949 election.
"In the closing months of the second world war, British identity had never been stronger or thicker." Ian Jack, The Guardian
But Passport to Pimlico is not simply a feature-length lament about post-war rationing; it’s also a testament to the underdog spirit and stoic realism that form the essence of what critic Paul Wells terms “Britishness.”
"Burgundy is a democracy modeled on Britian itself, and a microcosm of British life which best demonstrates the chief characteristics of ‘Britishness.’" Paul Wells, Film Reference
In this clip, a fictional newscaster salutes "pluckly little Burgundy."
But the Burgundian fantasy of limitless pleasure eventually gives way to the harsh realties of post-war life. The booze stops flowing, and new ration books are distributed. The film ultimately endorses the social and political institutions that keep human excess in check. Level-headed resolve, one of the key attributes of Britishness, triumphs over material temptations.