Sunday 30 March 2014

The Self-Preservation Society

I recently watched for the first time the cult classic The Italian Job. I don't know what to think of it, whether it was a good or a bad movie, but I enjoyed it a lot. I think it might be a silly comedy with a few strokes of genius. In any case, you can't go wrong with Michael Caine (well, most of the time). There is a fan website on the movie here. Anyway, a lot of it is set in Italy, including the climax, but this is really about England and a celebration of British resourcefulness and savoir-faire, a quiet, never bombastic display of patriotism. And what I found most memorable is maybe the theme song, which is the true topic of this post. The song is called "Get a Bloomin' Move On", but the only thing that stuck to my mind the first time I heard it was the line about "The Self-Preservation Society". I like it. It could be a national anthem. Given my opinions about the monarchy, I think it should be.

No comments: